Whiplash Transition (2011-2013)
For many American soldiers, their dispatch abroad consists of a 40-minute car journey, after which they move a mouse back and forth whilst sat in front of a computer. At a distance they control an RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft), which destroys military targets in a far away country, rushing home afterwards to take their little boy to football training. This abrupt transition, from the brutal reality of operating a drone in a war zone back to family life, is often referred to by the pilots of the drones with the term whiplash transition. The lack of separation between the theatre of war and home contributes to the rise of work stress and burnout. In her series WHIPLASH TRANSITION, Lisa Barnard examines these complex relations, using images from both the US and Pakistan.
