The firsthand account of the hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki and the drone squadron that found him.
In September 2011, with Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden both dead, the United States pinpointed American-born terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki as priority target number one. In order to eliminate the threat, Air Force Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley and his squadron were called upon to turn their RPAs main function as tracking and surveillance devices into strategic weapons. Much was resting on the mission al-Awlaki was the face of al-Qaeda propaganda, and his loss would have...