Customs and Border Protection officials are clamoring for additional Predator drones to help in immigration enforcement and drug interdiction duties. But they may have to wait for a long time. The Department of Homeland Security is buying lots of Predators, but it cannot get enough qualified operators.
“We’re short on people to come fly these things,” says Michael Kostelnik, assistant commissioner of the Customs and Border Protection air and marine division. “Finding pilots is our biggest shortcoming.”
The agency has turned to the Air National Guard for help. But Guard operators are already stretched thin by commitments to support the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Pilot training has been slow because of limited space at schoolhouses.
Kostelnik said he was confident that the North Dakota Air Guard could begin to fly CBP missions in the spring. But that is not going to happen, said Guard spokeswoman Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke. “There are no plans to support CBP with unmanned air systems manpower or equipment from the Air National Guard.”