Brett Velicovich

Brett Velicovich (born December 6, 1983) is an American drone expert, veteran, and former U.S. Army intelligence soldier. He is known for strikes against terrorist groups and advocating for the use of drones in the protection of African big game wildlife. A film based on his life is being developed by Michael (Bay) and Paramount Pictures, based on his memoir Drone Warrior: An Elite Soldier's Inside Account of the Hunt for America's Most Dangerous Enemies.

Quotes

 * People tend to talk in terms of how many people and civilians the United States has killed using drones. One question I’m never asked, though, is how many lives did you save?
 * What Drone Warfare Does to a Soldier's Brain, GQ Magazine, 29 June 2017


 * I can't tell you how many terrorists we let go, we let get away, because we were worried about a woman or a child dying in the process.
 * An elite soldier on using drones to hunt terrorists — and giving the kill order, Vox, 17 July 2017


 * The future of drones is not warfare, it's enabling businesses in the private sector.
 * (from the video US tops with military drones, but China owns consumer market, channel "CNBC Squawk Box", July 13, 2017.


 * It's a terrible, terrible thing to take a life. But at the same time, the people we were going after - these are some of the most evil people in the world. They would have no qualms about coming in here and killing every single person - man, woman and child. And so yeah, we refer to them as targets.
 * July 2017, In a discussion with NPR radio host Scott Simon about the morality of targeting terrorists with drones.