Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Mechanic

You are the wrench-turner and pre-flight grunt of the VMU squadron. Nobody hands a junior Marine a UAV and says "figure it out" — you learn every fastener, connector, and control surface on one airframe before they let you near the next one.

Perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on RQ-7B Shadow, RQ-21A Blackjack, or MQ-9A Reaper airframes and ground support equipment. Execute pre-flight and post-flight inspections under CDI supervision. Assist with launch and recovery operations — catapult setup, Skyhook recovery rigging, runway operations depending on platform. Perform corrosion control, basic avionics checks, and servicing tasks. Document everything in IMDS/NALCOMIS. You are not yet signing off work — you are building the muscle memory that makes future sign-offs mean something.

• 01Pre/post-flight inspection procedures, NAVAIR technical manual interpretation, FOD prevention discipline, corrosion control basics, ground support equipment operation, IMDS/NALCOMIS data entry, launch and recovery crew duties

• —COMNAVAIRFORINST 4790.2 (NAMP), MIM-specific technical manuals by airframe (RQ-7B/RQ-21A/MQ-9A), VMU squadron SOPs, MOS roadmap for 6214

• —Zero FOD events. Pre-flight discrepancies caught before the airframe leaves the ground. Every maintenance action documented accurately in IMDS/NALCOMIS before end of shift. No unsupervised CDI-required sign-offs.

• —Signing off your own work before you have CDI authority. Skipping torque verification because it "looked right." Not logging a discrepancy because you fixed it informally. Treating data link connectors like automotive wiring — they are not.

A Lance Corporal who knows their platform's tech manual better than most Corporals — not because they were told to, but because they figured out that the tech manual is the job. Pre-flights are methodical, not rushed. Discrepancies get written up, every time, even the small ones. They understand that a UAV crashing because of a skipped inspection step is a full mishap investigation with their name on it.

You are earning your CDI qualification and starting to own maintenance actions end-to-end. The gap between "I helped do that" and "I signed off that" is where your professional reputation gets built.

Perform and sign off maintenance actions within your CDI authorization. Assist with ground control station (GCS) functional checks and data link system inspections. Lead small maintenance teams on specific tasks. Troubleshoot avionics and electrical discrepancies using built-in test equipment and technical manuals. Support payload maintenance — EO/IR sensor cleaning, boresight verification, SIGINT package checks where applicable. Begin cross-training on a second platform if the squadron flies multiple UAS. Mentor junior Marines on inspection procedures and documentation standards.

• 01CDI authorization and scope management, GCS functional checks, avionics/electrical troubleshooting, EO/IR payload basic maintenance, cross-platform familiarization, technical manual application to real discrepancies, junior Marine oversight

• —COMNAVAIRFORINST 4790.2, platform-specific MIMs and IPBs, CDI authorization letter, NALCOMIS WO management, VMU SOP for GCS operations

• —CDI sign-offs are accurate and within authorization scope. Troubleshooting follows the fault isolation manual before escalating. Documentation is complete before the aircraft flies again. Zero instances of working outside CDI authority.

• —Signing off work you are not authorized to sign off because someone senior pressured you to clear the deck. Performing GCS checks without understanding what a "pass" actually means functionally. Treating payload maintenance as lower priority than airframe maintenance — sensors ARE the mission.

A Corporal who refuses to shortcut their CDI authority under scheduling pressure and can explain exactly why to a Staff Sergeant. They understand that the GCS and the airframe are one system — degraded data link means the aircraft is not mission-capable, period. Junior Marines watch how they work and copy the good habits.

You are a maintenance team lead and the technical backbone of a detachment or line division. The Marines above you set priorities; you make priorities happen. If something is broken and nobody knows why, you are the first person who needs to figure it out.

Lead a maintenance crew through daily, periodic, and unscheduled maintenance cycles. Manage IMDS/NALCOMIS work orders for your team. Conduct quality assurance checks on subordinate work. Interface with the Quality Assurance division to resolve open discrepancies. Support detachment operations — VMU squadrons regularly deploy small UAV detachments to support ground units, and Sergeants are often the senior maintainer on those det packages. Manage tool control programs and support equipment accountability. Begin engagement with supply chain — parts ordering, cannibalization requests, AWM/AWP management. Advise officers on maintenance status and estimated return-to-service timelines.

• 01Crew leadership and task sequencing, IMDS/NALCOMIS WO management, QA inspection support, det pack maintenance planning, tool control program management, supply coordination and parts expediting, maintenance status reporting to leadership

• —COMNAVAIRFORINST 4790.2, MCO P4790.2 (MIMMS), VMU Det SOP, IETM/MIM for assigned platforms, squadron maintenance schedule

• —Maintenance schedule adherence with accurate status reporting. Zero instances of work clearing quality assurance that should not have cleared. Det package maintenance documentation is self-contained and audit-ready. Parts accountability is current.

• —Underreporting maintenance status to look good for a deployment timeline. Running a det without a parts kit and hoping nothing breaks. Allowing junior Marines to work outside their qualification scope when the det is short-handed and the pressure is on.

A Sergeant who gives leadership an honest maintenance picture even when it is not what they want to hear — and who has a recovery plan ready when they deliver the bad news. On a det, they are the expert on everything: airframe, GCS, launch/recovery, comms, logistics. They write the 10 lessons-learned report after every deployment before they unpack their gear.

You are a maintenance chief or section SNCOIC. You are no longer primarily a technician — you are the person who makes technicians effective, manages resources, and owns the squadron's maintenance readiness numbers.

Serve as Maintenance Chief or Line Division SNCOIC for a VMU squadron or detachment. Manage the daily maintenance schedule across multiple airframes and work centers. Conduct or supervise quality assurance inspections. Manage CDI program administration — authorizations, currency, documentation. Coordinate with supply, QA, and Maintenance Control to manage parts, AWM/AWP, and repair cycle assets. Interface with supporting MARFORs and ground units on UAS capability and readiness. Manage the training and qualification pipeline for subordinate maintainers. Provide written maintenance status to CO/XO. Begin developing the squadron's transition plan when new platforms arrive or old ones retire.

• 01CDI program administration, QA coordination, maintenance schedule management across multiple airframes, supply chain interface and AWM/AWP management, readiness reporting, training pipeline oversight, platform transition planning, SNCOIC administrative duties

• —COMNAVAIRFORINST 4790.2, COMNAVAIRFOR UAS policy messages, VMU squadron SOP, CDI program NATOPS, supporting command tasking orders

• —FMC/PMC rates accurately reported and defensible. CDI program current and audit-ready. Training pipeline producing qualified maintainers at the rate the squadron needs. No QA escapes — discrepancies caught before they become mishaps.

• —Letting FMC numbers look better than they are by deferring MEL items. Not tracking the CDI expiration dates of your Marines until someone flies with an expired authorization. Treating UAS platform transitions as the same process as legacy manned-aircraft transitions — they are faster and messier.

A Staff Sergeant who can brief the CO on maintenance readiness in 90 seconds — current FMC rate, top three grounding items, recovery timeline, and what they need from leadership to fix it. They own the CDI program like a law license: it is the foundation of everything the maintenance department does, and they protect it.

You are either the squadron's senior maintenance SNCOIC or filling a staff billet where UAS maintenance expertise is the product. At this point your value is in institutional knowledge, cross-platform experience, and the ability to solve problems the tech manual does not cover.

Serve as Maintenance Chief, Line Division Chief, or senior SNCOIC for a VMU squadron. Manage the full maintenance department in coordination with the Maintenance Officer. Develop and revise squadron maintenance SOPs and training syllabi. Serve as the squadron's senior QA representative or QA Officer equivalent for enlisted purposes. Manage the squadron's periodic maintenance program across the full UAS inventory. Interface with NAVAIR, HQMC Aviation, and supporting commands on maintenance policy, parts support, and platform sustainment issues. Lead preparation for ORIs and external maintenance audits. Evaluate junior SNCOs and mentor them on maintenance leadership, not just maintenance technique. Brief wing and group-level leadership on UAS readiness.

• 01Maintenance department management, SOP and syllabus development, senior QA representation, NAVAIR/HQMC interface, ORI preparation, SNCOIC mentorship and evaluation, wing-level readiness briefing, UAS platform lifecycle management

• —COMNAVAIRFORINST 4790.2, HQMC Aviation UAS policy, NAVAIR platform program offices, MAG/MAW maintenance reporting requirements, OPNAV UAS roadmap

• —Maintenance department operates to standard without daily direction from the Maintenance Officer. ORI results reflect actual squadron readiness. Junior SNCOs are being developed, not just supervised. Platform transition plans exist on paper before the new aircraft arrives.

• —Becoming the person who solves every technical problem personally instead of the person who makes sure the right people solve problems. Not engaging with NAVAIR program offices on parts supportability issues until it becomes a readiness crisis.

A Gunnery Sergeant who has seen multiple platform transitions and uses that experience to write the playbook for the next one before it starts. They brief wing-level leadership in plain language about what the squadron can and cannot do with the UAS assets it has, and they have already started working the problem before anyone asks them to.

You are the senior enlisted authority on Marine Corps UAS maintenance — either as a functional expert at the SNCO-in-charge level or as the command SNCO who shapes how the entire VMU community operates. The platforms will change again before you retire. Your job is building organizations that can absorb that change.

Serve as Squadron Sergeant Major, 1stSgt, or senior maintenance SNCO at MAG, MAW, or HQMC level. At the command SNCO level: own Marine welfare, discipline, and professional development across the VMU squadron. At the functional SNCO level: serve as the senior maintenance advisor to group or wing commanders on UAS sustainment, readiness, and platform transition. Represent the VMU community at NAVAIR program reviews and HQMC aviation policy working groups. Develop the enlisted training and qualification standards for 6214 across the Marine Corps. Engage with joint UAS programs — Marines operate alongside Army, Air Force, and Navy UAS assets in joint environments. Mentor GySgts who will run VMU maintenance departments in 36 months.

• 01Command SNCO leadership and administration, MAG/MAW-level readiness advisory, NAVAIR program review participation, HQMC 6214 MOS management advisory, joint UAS program interface, enlisted career development and retention, VMU community institutional knowledge

• —MCO P1070.12 (IRAM), HQMC Aviation (ASM-UAV), NAVAIR UAS program offices, joint UAS policy (JP 3-30), COMNAVAIRFOR UAS readiness reporting requirements

• —The VMU community's 6214 maintainers are better trained and more capable than they were when you took the job. The platforms transitioned without a readiness crater. GySgts in the community know how to run a maintenance department because you showed them — not because you did it for them.

• —Treating the SgtMaj or 1stSgt role as a break from technical accountability — at this rank the technical credibility is what makes the command SNCO function effective. Not engaging with joint UAS doctrine when the Marine Corps is clearly moving toward more joint UAS operations.

A Master Sergeant or Sergeant Major who can walk into any VMU squadron in the Marine Corps, watch a day of maintenance operations, and tell the CO in 20 minutes exactly what is working and what is not — and what to do about it. They have been part of at least two platform transitions and written something useful down about what they learned. The 6214s coming up behind them are better because this person existed.