DOD defines a UAS as “a system whose components include the necessary equipment, networks, and personnel to control an unmanned aircraft”—that is, an aircraft that does not carry a human operator and is capable of flight under remote control or autonomous programming. DOD classifies its UAS into five groups that are based on attributes of weight and capabilities including vehicle airspeed and operating altitude. For example, group 1 UAS weigh 20 pounds or less whereas group 5 UAS weigh more than 1,320 pounds. Servicemembers who operate the larger and more capable UAS, in group 3 or above, are either manned- aircraft pilots or pilots specializing in flying UAS and are to receive 4 or more months of training to prepare them to fly UAS. In contrast, personnel who operate the less capable UAS that are classified in groups 1 and 2 generally operate UAS as an additional duty. Service headquarters officials stated that personnel who operate UAS in group 1 receive about 2 weeks of training and personnel who operate UAS in group 2 receive anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months of training. Each of the services flies various types of large UAS in groups 3, 4, and 5. The Air Force flies the MQ-1 (Predator), the MQ-9 (Reaper), and the larger RQ-4 (Global Hawk). The Army flies the RQ-7 (Shadow), the MQ-5 (Hunter) and the MQ-1C (Gray Eagle). The Marine Corps flies the RQ-7B (Shadow) and the RQ-21A (Black Jack). Finally, the Navy flies the MQ-4C (Triton) and the MQ-8 (Fire Scout). Each service uses a different term to refer to the UAS pilot position and a different strategy to assign personnel to this position. For example, the Air Force uses the term remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) pilot and assigns officers to this position. Specifically, the Air Force assigns various types of officers to serve in these positions including (1) temporarily re-assigned manned-aircraft pilots, (2) manned-aircraft pilots and other Air Force aviation officers who have converted to this career permanently, (3) graduates of manned-aircraft pilot training on their first assignment, and (4) pilots who specialize in flying UAS with limited manned-aircraft experience. The Army uses the term unmanned aircraft system operator and assigns enlisted personnel to this position, who receive no manned- aircraft flight training. See table 1 for a summary of the terms and the staffing strategies each service uses. The services are responsible for providing three types of individual training to UAS pilots: initial qualification, mission, and continuation training. Each of the services is responsible for providing initial qualification training to UAS pilots in two phases. In the first phase, pilots are taught the fundamentals of aviation and in the second phase pilots learn to fly a particular UAS. Each of the services uses similar but slightly different approaches to train their UAS pilots. Army. The first phase of training consists of an 8-week common core course for all UAS pilots. During this phase, the Army is responsible for teaching its pilots the fundamentals of aerodynamics, flight safety, and navigation. During the second phase of training, the Army is responsible for teaching its UAS pilots to fly one of the Army’s three UAS. This training lasts between 12 and 25 weeks depending on the UAS that is the focus of the course. During this phase, the Army teaches its pilots to launch and recover a UAS, conduct reconnaissance and surveillance, and participate in a field training exercise. In addition, all Army UAS pilots are trained as sensor operators in the aircrew of a UAS. Thus, pilots learn to operate UAS sensors during their initial qualification training. Air Force. During the first phase of training, UAS pilots who specialize in flying a UAS attend 5 months of training called undergraduate UAS training. This training consists of three courses: first, these pilots learn to fly a small manned aircraft for 39 hours; second, they use a simulator to learn to fly a manned aircraft using instruments; and third, they learn about the fundamentals of flying a UAS in a classroom setting. Air Force UAS pilots who the Air Force re-assigns from its manned-aircraft pilot ranks do not attend this first phase of training because they received flight training as manned- aircraft pilots. During the second phase of training, all UAS pilots attend a 4-month course at a formal training unit to learn to fly one of the Air Force’s three UAS platforms. Most active duty Air Force pilots attend the formal training unit at Holloman Air Force Base to learn to fly the Air Force’s MQ-1 Predator or MQ-9 Reaper. Marine Corps. During the first phase of training, UAS pilots who specialize in flying a UAS attend 5 months of training with the Air Force called undergraduate UAS training. This training consists of three courses: First, these pilots learn to fly a small manned aircraft for 39 hours; second, they use a simulator to learn to fly a manned aircraft using instruments; and third, they learn about the fundamentals of flying a UAS in a classroom setting. During the second phase of training, Marine Corps UAS pilots attend the Army’s 8-week UAS pilot common course and 10-week UAS pilot training courses at Fort Huachuca to become familiar with flying the RQ-7 Shadow, which the Marine Corps flies. Navy. In January 2015, the Navy began providing a 7- to 8-week UAS initial qualification course in San Diego, CA to its pilots of the MQ-8 Fire Scout, which is a rotary wing UAS. The Navy assigns manned- helicopter aircraft pilots who receive manned helicopter training and have served, or are serving, in an assignment in a manned-helicopter squadron prior to attending this course. As of March 2015, the Navy is developing plans for its initial qualification course for its MQ-4C Triton, which is a fixed-wing UAS. The services also provide mission and continuation training to their UAS pilots. Mission qualification training includes all training that takes place once a servicemember reaches their operational unit but before that servicemember is designated as being qualified to perform the unit’s missions. Continuation training includes all training that takes place once a servicemember finishes mission qualification training and is designed to maintain and improve UAS piloting skills. A March 2015 Army review showed that pilots in most Army Shadow units did not complete training in their units in fiscal year 2014, which we corroborated through both discussions with pilots in our focus groups and unit responses to our questionnaires. One of the core characteristics of a strategic training and development process calls for agency leaders and managers to consistently demonstrate that they support and value continuous learning. However, the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command conducted a review from January 2015 through March 2015 and found that 61 of the Army’s 65 Shadow units that were not deployed had completed an average of 150 hours of flight training. Further, the Army assessed that these units were at the lowest levels of unit training proficiency in the Army’s readiness reporting system. Army Training and Doctrine Command officials stated that in January 2015, the Chief of Staff of the Army directed the Army Training and Doctrine Command to evaluate unit training for Army UAS units to determine if training was a factor that caused UAS mishaps in combat. These officials stated that in response to the Chief of Staff’s direction they evaluated the total flight hours completed to conduct training by 65 Shadow units that were not deployed, 13 deployed Shadow units, and 2 Shadow units at the UAS initial qualification school at Ft. Huachuca. Training and Doctrine Command assessed the level of unit readiness associated with the amount of training these units completed using the Army’s unit training proficiency system specified in Army Pamphlet 220-1, Defense Readiness Reporting System-Army Procedures. This system includes a four-tiered rating system ranging from T-1 to T-4. In this system a T-1 rating indicates the highest level of unit training proficiency, whereas T-3 and T-4 ratings indicate that the unit is untrained on one or more of the mission essential tasks that the unit was designed to perform in an operational environment. Using this system to assess the 65 Shadow units that were not deployed, Training and Doctrine Command found that 1 unit was rated at T-1, 3 units were rated at T-2, and 61 units were rated at T-3 or T-4. In addition, Training and Doctrine Command found that 11 of the 13 deployed units were rated T-1 and the other 2 deployed Shadow units were rated T-2, and both of the units at the UAS training school were rated at T-1 (see table 2). Army Training and Doctrine Command found a number of factors led to UAS pilots in Army Shadow units not completing training in their units in fiscal year 2014. For example, the review found that UAS units organized under infantry brigades have a particular challenge completing training in their units because the unit commanders and leadership overseeing these brigades may not be fully aware of the UAS units’ training requirements. In addition, the review found that a number of warrant officers were not qualified and current on the units’ aircraft that they were assigned to oversee. The review included recommendations that the Army plans to implement to increase emphasis on training in UAS units, to provide training on UAS training to unit commanders, and to establish a system to report UAS training readiness on periodic unit status reports.