DRONERESPONDERS names Greg Whiting 2026 public safety UAS award recipient

DRONERESPONDERS has selected Texas Military Department aviation leader Greg Whiting for its 2026 Eric Talley Public Safety UAS Excellence Award. The honor recognizes Whiting’s role in building a large-scale drone program that supports border security, disaster response and safer coordination across Texas emergencies.

Why it matters: - The award spotlights how public safety agencies are using drones to improve response speed, situational awareness and responder safety. - Whiting’s program shows that a large unmanned aircraft operation can scale without giving up aviation discipline. - The recognition ties that operational model to Eric Talley’s legacy of courage and selfless service.

What happened: - DRONERESPONDERS named Greg Whiting the 2026 recipient of the Eric Talley Public Safety UAS Excellence Award. - DRONERESPONDERS presented the award during the opening keynote at Commercial UAV Expo at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas. - Whiting directs the Texas Military Department’s Technology Integration Cell and manages its small unmanned aircraft systems program. - The award recognizes Whiting’s leadership, aviation professionalism and commitment to protecting responders and communities.

The details: - For nearly four years, Whiting has led the Texas Military Department’s effort to build a full-time public safety drone program supporting border security. - Texas Military Department program data shows the program’s 82 full-time pilots have completed 97,344 sorties and logged 29,081 flight hours across public safety, disaster response and border security missions. - Whiting also serves as Chief of Operations for the Texas Air Operations Center. - In that role, he coordinates and deploys aviation assets during disaster response operations across Texas. - The Texas Air Operations Center helps integrate manned and unmanned aircraft for hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other large-scale incidents. - Whiting has established one of the nation’s most comprehensive Safety Management Systems for a public safety UAS operation. - He created a three-week training course drawing on expertise from the Texas Department of Public Safety, local fire departments and the military. - The training model prepares pilots for law enforcement, emergency response, military and interagency missions. - The program works with federal partners including the U.S. Department of War, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Coast Guard. - State partners include the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. - Local fire departments also participate in the coordination model. - During the catastrophic July 2025 floods in the Kerrville area, Whiting oversaw the coordination of manned and unmanned aircraft in difficult operating conditions. - The flood response required airspace deconfliction, risk management and interagency trust. - UAS teams provided situational awareness while operating alongside other aviation assets.

Between the lines: - The award signals that public safety drone programs are being judged less on novelty and more on operational maturity, safety and interagency coordination. - Whiting’s mix of military aviation experience and public safety integration reflects a broader trend toward professionalized drone operations in emergency management. - The Texas model suggests that scale and safety can coexist when training, command structure and airspace management are tightly controlled.

What's next: - DRONERESPONDERS will continue recognizing public safety leaders who advance responsible UAS use across law enforcement, fire service, emergency management and related fields. - The award is supported this year by Axon, Esri, Pilot Institute and 2D Dummies. - DRONERESPONDERS and AIRT say the Eric Talley legacy will continue to guide future recognition of public safety aviation leadership.

The bottom line: - Greg Whiting’s award reflects a public safety drone program that has moved from pilot project to mission-critical infrastructure in Texas.