#105: Wayne Phelps - The Psychology of Killing With Drones

Growth Island

As the Russo-Ukrainian war continues, Ukraine has used lethal ‘Punisher drones’ to return fire. Sounds absolutely terrifying, right? What role do these drones play in shaping our future? In this unusual but important episode, I talk to retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, Wayne Phelps. He has commanded units at every level from Platoon to Squadron and was the commanding officer of the Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron Three. Seeing as tensions are escalating around the world and Russia refuses to back off, I wanted to learn about what goes through the minds of all those brave soldiers on either side and see the purpose of drones in modern warfare. In this episode we discuss: 👉 What do you learn as a Marine? 👉 How do you deal with killing a person? 👉 The consequences of Drone technology 👉 The psychological and physiological effects of being a drone operator. 👉 Information warfare in the digital age 👉 How to take care of your mental health as a soldier 👉 And so much more… If you are interested in learning about the human side of this conflict, this episode is for you. It’s a tough but rewarding one. Keynotes - 2:50 Marine corps disciplines a person 10:08 How to deal with killing another human or dehumanisation 16:28 What if drones fall into the 'wrong hands'? 29:00 The mental health toll of being a member of a drone crew 37:20 The importance of information in warfare. 44:36 The importance of humanity in a war 51:50 Where can people find your book?