The Georgia Army National Guard has launched an innovative program to train soldiers as unmanned aerial systems operators, focusing initially on small, first-person view quadcopter drones. The 12-day course, conceived by Brig. Gen. Jason Fryman, was developed in six months by a team of six expert trainers. Participants begin with classroom instruction and progress to field exercises using the Skydio-produced RQ-28 Short Range Reconnaissance drone, a compact, foldable FPV platform with AI-enabled obstacle navigation and advanced thermal and visual recognition. Soldiers are trained to incorporate the RQ-28 into operations such as route and zone reconnaissance, especially for engineering and tactical tasks. A key goal is to create master trainers within the Guard who can expand drone expertise across units, gradually preparing troops to operate larger unmanned systems in future missions. This initiative strengthens Georgia’s ability to deploy small drones effectively for reconnaissance and operational support while laying the foundation for broader UAS proficiency.
