Hindsight · review build · data not yet validated
Humans are generally far removed from the scene of battle.
Grader A: miss
Humans were not far removed from battle in 2009. The US had about 146,000 troops in Iraq at the end of 2008 plus a growing force in Afghanistan, and ground combat and casualties continued. Drone operators far from the front were a small minority of combatants.
Test: Share of combat personnel remote from the battlefield: small; over 100,000 US troops deployed in Iraq alone in 2009.
Grader B: miss
In 2009 the US had about 186,300 troops in country in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus more than 100,000 in regional support. Most combat was infantry counterinsurgency at close range. Remote drone operations grew, but humans were not generally far from the battle.
Test: Test: most combat personnel operate remotely. FY2009: about 186,300 US boots on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan; remote operators were a small fraction.