A visit to the 20th Reconnaissance Squadron at Whiteman Air Force Base has raised concerns with Senator Claire McCaskill over combat stress for drone pilots.

In a letter to the Air Force, McCaskill addressed the unique stresses felt by Airmen flying combat missions against enemy forces from bases on US soil and then immediately going home to their families without an adequate way to decompress.

“I also want to take this opportunity to note my concern about the effect of Airmen being ‘deployed on station,’” wrote McCaskill, a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. “It is unprecedented in warfare for our men and women to fly combat missions, engage and kill our enemies, and a short while later go home to their families.

“A Remotely Piloted Aircraft pilot could be sitting down to a meal with his or her family less than two hours after killing Islamic State or Taliban fighters on the other side of the world. They could be playing with their children shortly after witnessing up close and in graphic detail the effects of a 500-pound bomb or Hellfire missile on a soft target. I am not sure we fully understand the consequences this has for our men and women in uniform, or on their families.”

McCaskill recently visited the 20th Reconnaissance Squadron at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, where she was briefed on operations and had the opportunity to speak with several pilots—some of whom were in their first enlistment and younger than 22 years old. McCaskill also recently questioned the Pentagon’s top Pacific commanders on the importance of addressing the stress levels of these pilots.

McCaskill’s letter continues: “I understand warriors at times feel the need to “decompress” after a stressful mission. Our uniformed men and women in a combat zone have various resources at hand to assist in this. It seems counter intuitive, but personnel at home may have less access to such resources given the strong desire to be home with family as much as possible… I ask that your office inform me and my staff of the Air Force’s plan to deal with this unique form of combat stress. Today’s pilots are carrying the weight of the Air Force’s armed ISR mission on their backs. We owe them the support they need to stay healthy, even at home.”