The Tennessee Department of Military has announced that twelve Tennessee Army National Guard Soldiers became the first graduates of Tennessee’s new Small Unmanned Aircraft System Master Trainer course led by the 1-117th Military Police Battalion at Smyrna’s Volunteer Training Site. The course was held the last two weeks of June and prepares experienced operators to become instructors and advisors for their units. The 1-117th Military Police Battalion plans to host another Master Trainer Course in 2027, pending National Guard Bureau evaluation of the pilot program and approval.
Staff Sgt. Alexander Spradling, an instructor with the 1-117th Military Police Battalion’s Multifunction Company prepares to launch an RQ-28A, a small, unmanned aircraft during the Small Unmanned Aircraft System Master Trainer pilot course at Tullahoma’s Volunteer Training Site, June 23. Unlike the Army’s basic operator course, the Master Trainer Course prepares experienced operators to certify future SUAS pilots, manage unit training programs, and advise commanders on unmanned aircraft system employment. Facilitated by Tennessee’s 117th Regional Training Institute, this is the first course of its kind in the Army National Guard. (photo by 1st Lt. Bailey Breving)