The Viability of Non-classified U.S. Military Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Technologies in Disaster Public Health Emergency Response, Logistics, Search, and Rescue

Darrell Norman Burrell (), Allison J. Huff (), Calvin Nobles (), Sharon Burton () and Won Song ()
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Darrell Norman Burrell: Marymount University, USA
Allison J. Huff: The University of Arizona, College of Medicine, USA
Calvin Nobles: University of Maryland Global Campus, USA
Sharon Burton: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, USA
Won Song: Capitol Technology University, USA

RAIS Conference Proceedings 2022-2026 from Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies

Abstract: Escalating natural and manmade disasters increasingly strain local emergency response systems, exposing gaps in situational awareness, rescue capacity, logistics coordination, and damage assessment. This qualitative narrative inquiry examines how military personnel with advanced education in logistics and humanitarian operations conceptualize the use of non-classified military Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technologies in domestic disaster response. Drawing on two phases of data collection, semi-structured narrative interviews and asynchronous reflective journaling, the study analyzes the perspectives of ten U.S. military service members trained in logistics and supply chain management. Findings indicate that military UAVs function as critical capability multipliers by accelerating situational awareness, reducing responder risk, improving logistics visibility, enhancing damage assessment, and supporting interagency coordination across disasters such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, snowstorms, and mudslides. Participants emphasized that military UAV capabilities exceed those typically available to local fire and police departments in endurance, sensor integration, and operational scalability. The study concludes that non-classified military UAV integration, when appropriately governed and coordinated, significantly enhances the effectiveness, resilience, and life-saving capacity of domestic disaster and emergency response systems.

Keywords: Drone Technology; Public Health; Unmanned Aerial Vehicles; Disaster Response; Humanitarian Logistics; Search and Rescue; Emergency Management; Military Support (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 14 pages
Date: 2026-03
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Published in Proceedings of the 43rd International RAIS Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities, March 12-13, 2026, pages 118-132

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