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FORGOTTEN
the
FINDING
Remote Warrior™ was founded by Tanner Yackley, a former MQ-9 Reaper Sensor Operator and Instructor Evaluator who spent a decade supporting combat operations from thousands of miles away. Like many in the drone and remote warfare community, Tanner experienced the long-term toll of watching war unfold through a screen—day after day, mission after mission.
But when he sought care, he ran into the same wall many others had:
“You weren’t deployed.” No recognition. No screening that fit. No language for what he was going through.
That’s when Remote Warrior was born.
WHY
Drone crews live at war and sleep at home. They make split-second combat decisions, witness life-ending strikes in high definition, and return to civilian life within minutes. This modern form of warfare causes real psychological trauma—but traditional systems fail to recognize it.
Remote Warrior exists to change that.
DEVELOPING RECON
the first trauma screening tool built by drone veterans, for drone veterans
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EDUCATION
educate the VA clinicians, policymakers and mental health providers about occupational PTSD and moral injury in remote roles
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WHAT WE DO
BUILDING SUPPORT
building peer support communities and transitional resources for drone operators
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DRIVING POLICY REFORM
so drone trauma is no long visible
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OUR
VISION
We believe trauma is not defined by geography. You don’t have to be boots-on-ground to be wounded by war. Our vision is a future where drone veterans are:
Properly screened and diagnosed
Understood by providers
Included in veteran support systems
Given the tools to heal
MEET
FOUNDER
the
Tanner a Ph.D. researcher in Psychology, and a former MQ-9 Sensor Operator Evaluator who’s now dedicating his career to correcting the systemic oversights that have hurt so many of his peers. What started as one voice became a survey. The survey became a movement. Now, it's a mission.
Milestones So Far:
Launched RECON with over 130 validated veteran responses
Created the Drone Veteran Healing Initiative
Built training modules for VA providers and mental health professionals
Gained support from national VSOs and policymakers
Developed a peer-led Discord support community
YACKLEY
TANNER
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