I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4453 

To provide a process by which certain wounded warriors who face medical 

discharge from the Armed Forces may instead continue to serve in 

the Armed Forces as remotely piloted aircraft pilots or remotely piloted 

aircraft sensor operators in the Air Force. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 17, 2017 

Mr. PEARCE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To provide a process by which certain wounded warriors 

who face medical discharge from the Armed Forces may 

instead continue to serve in the Armed Forces as remotely piloted aircraft pilots or remotely piloted aircraft 

sensor operators in the Air Force. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SERVICE OF WOUNDED WARRIORS AS RE2 MOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT PILOTS OR RE3 MOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT SENSOR OPERA4 TORS IN THE AIR FORCE. 

5 (a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.—The Secretary of the Air 

6 Force shall establish a program under which a qualified 

7 wounded warrior who faces retirement or separation from 

8 the Armed Forces for physical disability may continue, in 

9 lieu of such retirement or separation, to serve in the 

10 Armed Forces as a remotely piloted aircraft pilot or re11 motely piloted aircraft sensor operator in the Air Force. 

12 (b) ELIGIBILITY QUALIFICATIONS.— 

13 (1) MODIFICATION OF PHYSICAL REQUIRE14 MENTS.—In the case of wounded warriors only, the 

15 Secretary of the Air Force shall modify the physical 

16 fitness requirements applicable to a wounded warrior 

17 who is seeking to serve, or is serving, as a remotely 

18 piloted aircraft pilot or remotely piloted aircraft sen19 sor operator if the wounded warrior is incapable of 

20 meeting such requirements, such as completing an 

21 annual physical training test, due to the service-re22 lated disability, but otherwise satisfies the remotely 

23 piloted aircraft medical standard. 

24 (2) MEDICAL WAIVERS.—The restriction on 

25 medical waivers contained in section 6.4.5.1 of Air 


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1 Force Instruction 48–123 shall not apply to the pro2 gram required by this section. 

3 (3) CONTINUED APPLICABILITY OF OTHER RE4 QUIREMENTS.—To serve as a remotely piloted air5 craft pilot or remotely piloted aircraft sensor oper6 ator, a wounded warrior applicant would still have to 

7 pass— 

8 (A) the applicable Air Force Officer Quali9 fying Test or Armed Services Vocational Apti10 tude Battery; and 

11 (B) the applicable security and mental 

12 health requirements. 

13 (4) AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION.—A wound14 ed warrior may not be selected to serve, or continue 

15 to serve, as a remotely piloted aircraft pilot or re16 motely piloted aircraft sensor operator if the Sec17 retary of the Air Force determines that— 

18 (A) the wounded warrior presents a hazard 

19 to flying safety or mission completion; 

20 (B) performance of the duty would be haz21 ardous to the health of the wounded warrior; or 

22 (C) the wounded warrior is diagnosed with 

23 post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain 

24 injury, or any other mental disorder that could 

25 hinder mission performance. 


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1 (c) PRIORITY FOR CERTAIN WOUNDED WARRIORS.— 

2 In selecting wounded warriors to serve as a remotely pi3 loted aircraft pilot or remotely piloted aircraft sensor oper4 ator, the Secretary of the Air Force shall give priority to 

5 wounded warriors whose disability was incurred— 

6 (1) in the line of duty in a combat zone des7 ignated by the Secretary of Defense; or 

8 (2) during the performance of duty in combat9 related operations as designated by the Secretary of 

10 Defense. 

11 (d) TRANSFER AUTHORITY.—In the case of a wound12 ed warrior who is not a member of the Air Force, the Sec13 retary of the Air Force shall cooperate with the Secretary 

14 concerned having jurisdiction over the wounded warrior to 

15 transfer the wounded warrior from the other Armed Force 

16 to the Air Force to permit the wounded warrior to be se17 lected for the program under this section. 

18 (e) WOUNDED WARRIOR DEFINED.—In this section, 

19 the term ‘‘wounded warrior’’ means a member of the 

20 Armed Forces who— 

21 (1) is unfit to perform the duties of the mem22 ber’s office, grade, rank, or rating because of phys23 ical disability incurred in the line of duty; and 

24 (2) is under consideration for retirement or sep25 aration under chapter 61 of title 10, United States 


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1 Code, or has been placed on the temporary disability 

2 retired list. 

Æ 


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