The Georgia Army National Guard this month launched a new initiative aimed at training troops statewide to become proficient drone operators.
The Unmanned Aerial Systems Operator’s Course focuses primarily on small first-person-view quadcopter drones, while also building foundational skills to support the future use of larger unmanned platforms in operational environments.
The 12-day course was introduced under the direction of Georgia Army National Guard commander Brig. Gen. Jason Fryman, who brought together a team of six experienced instructors and pilots to develop the curriculum within six months.
Training begins with classroom instruction and culminates in a field exercise, with units learning to operate the RQ-28 Short Range Reconnaissance quadcopter drone.
Manufactured by Skydio, the foldable RQ-28 FPV drone is designed for easy transport in rucksacks and incorporates AI-enabled obstacle avoidance along with advanced thermal and visual sensing capabilities, supporting a wide range of mission applications.
During the course, Guard personnel learn to integrate the RQ-28 into operational tasks such as route and zone reconnaissance for engineering missions.
The program’s long-term objective is to create a cadre of master trainers who can disseminate drone expertise across the Guard over time.
