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7316E4
Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) Operator
E-4 (Specialist/Corporal) · Marines
HEADS UP
You are now the primary operator and you are responsible for the readiness of the section's equipment, not just your own. Corporals who see SUAS as 'flying drones' wash out of the senior NCO pipeline. Corporals who see SUAS as 'producing intelligence that changes ground decisions' move up.
The Honest MOS Read
At Corporal, you are the face of the SUAS section to the maneuver element you support. The company commander or platoon commander is not going to brief the battalion S2 — that falls to the NCO on the ground with the GCS. How you present your mission products, how quickly you cycle from recovery to debriefing, and how accurately you describe what your sensor captured will determine whether that commander asks for your section in the next exercise or requests a different asset.
The technical baseline has to be solid before any of the leadership piece matters. You need to be the person in the section who can diagnose a GCS fault without calling a more senior operator. You need to know your battery account — not just which ones are charged, but their cycle counts, their performance history, and which ones you are pulling from service before they cause a field abort. Adversaries are fielding counter-UAS systems that can detect, jam, and kill Group 1/2 aircraft; you need to brief the threat honestly to the units you support so they're not shocked when a Raven doesn't come back.
The civilian translation from this rank tier is increasingly direct. Corporal-level SUAS operators with Part 107, documented flight hours, and some experience with enterprise-grade drone platforms (DJI Matrice series, senseFly, Wingtra) are competitive for commercial inspection and survey jobs paying well above median wage for this experience level. DoD contractor positions supporting SUAS training programs are also real — the government is paying contract instructors significant money to teach the same skills you are developing right now. Track your hours. Get your Part 107 if you do not have it. Look at what thermography and mapping certifications cost and whether your GI Bill covers them.
Career Arc
CPL: primary section operator and equipment readiness lead; expected to run independent mission planning and post-mission intelligence products CPL meritorious/competitive promotion to SGT: the 7316 community is small and SGT billets are limited; competition is real and the board will compare your flight hours and operational experience directly SGT pipeline: section leader responsibilities begin here; you are now responsible for junior operator training and qualification maintenance for the section Schools available at the CPL-SGT window: Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operator Course follow-on, advanced EO/IR sensor training if available through your command, FAA Part 107 (should already be complete), and any available SUAS maintenance certifications MEU deployment cycle: CPLs with strong flight records and MEU workup performance get attached; this is the highest-visibility flying you will do in the junior enlisted window Consider civilian credentials now: Part 107 (if not complete), commercial mapping/survey software proficiency, and basic thermography cert are all accessible and marketable
Common Screwups
Taking a shortcut on mission deconfliction because the area 'looks clear' — a mid-air with a manned aircraft, even a near-miss, is a career-ending event and potentially a federal criminal matter Signing for equipment readiness you have not personally verified — if a battery is logged as serviceable and it wasn't inspected, your signature is on that readiness report Infractions involving alcohol, especially DUI — the Marine Corps takes this seriously at every rank but the impact on a CPL's promotion profile is permanent and immediate Failing a PFT or CFT — for a MOS that already has credibility challenges with combat arms communities, a SUAS Corporal who can't pass basic fitness standards is damaging not just their own career but the perception of the whole section Being the SUAS guy who never contributes to anything outside his lane — CPLs who build a reputation as team players, who show up for working parties without being told, and who help in adjacent tasks earn the goodwill that translates to positive fitness reports and promotion support
A Day in the Life
0530: PT formation; CPLs are expected to lead or push their junior operators 0700: Chow 0800: Morning formation; receive the day's tasking from section SNCO 0830: SUAS section maintenance period: conduct all battery conditioning checks, update equipment logs, inspect airframes for any transit or storage damage 1000: Mission planning (on exercise/operational weeks) OR working party/detail (garrison weeks); CPLs lead their operators through mission planning packages rather than just completing their own 1130: Noon chow 1300: Flight operations (when scheduled) — pre-flight brief, launch, sensor operations, recovery, and immediate post-flight inspection 1500: Intelligence product development and debriefing with S2/supported commander 1600: Equipment re-staging for next sortie or end-of-day check; update all logs 1700: Evening formation; brief junior operators on tomorrow's schedule 1800: Evening chow 1900: Professional development time — Part 107 study if not yet certified, mapping software proficiency, or continued study of MCTP 3-20B employment doctrine
Weekly Cadence
The CPL's week is split between equipment ownership and operational execution. Monday and Tuesday are typically maintenance-heavy — batteries get cycled, airframes get inspected, and the equipment log gets updated. Wednesday through Friday lean toward training or operational evolutions when they're on the schedule. Garrison weeks mean the section fills the battalion's working party and detail requirements; field weeks mean the CPL is running sorties and producing products.
The CPL is also responsible for the junior operators' training progression. A good CPL has a mental (or written) tracking system for what each junior Marine is qualified on, what they need to do next, and what their performance looks like at each task. This does not require a formal training management system — it requires paying attention and giving deliberate feedback after every evolution rather than waiting for the annual review cycle.
What Good Looks Like at This Rank
The best CPL 7316s own their mission products with the same confidence that an artillery NCO owns a fire mission. They brief commanders who are skeptical of drones and leave those commanders asking for more coverage. They know every battery's history, every airframe's last maintenance discrepancy, and every qualification currency date for their junior operators without looking it up.
They have their Part 107. They have been to at least one operational deployment or high-fidelity exercise where their aircraft found something that changed a decision. They can explain the counter-UAS threat in plain language and they brief it honestly rather than pretending it doesn't exist. When the section has a bad week — an abort, a damaged airframe, a junior operator who screws up — the best CPLs own the debrief, write the corrective action plan, and don't wait to be asked.
Preview — The Next Rank
At Sergeant, you are the section leader. The weight shifts from 'can I fly well' to 'can I keep my operators trained, qualified, and producing results at the unit's tempo.' The SGT 7316 is responsible for the section's entire readiness posture — training calendars, equipment accountability, operator qualification currencies, and the relationship with the supported unit's S3 and S2. Flying is now one of several things you're responsible for, not the primary thing.
Start building your leadership reputation now. Every field exercise is an opportunity to demonstrate that you can manage a section, not just operate in one. The SGT promotion board will look at the quality of your fitness reports more than your flight hours — and those fitness reports reflect whether your chain of command sees you as a leader or an operator.
FAQ
7316 E4 — Frequently Asked Questions
Q01What does a E4 7316 (Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) Operator) actually do?
Lead a SUAS team conducting reconnaissance, target acquisition, and battle damage assessment missions in support of ground maneuver elements.
Q02What's the most important thing to know as a E4 7316?
You are now the primary operator and you are responsible for the readiness of the section's equipment, not just your own.
Q03What mistakes get E4 7316 soldiers fired or relieved?
Taking a shortcut on mission deconfliction because the area 'looks clear' — a mid-air with a manned aircraft, even a near-miss, is a career-ending event and potentially a federal criminal matter Signing for equipment readiness you have not personally verified — if a battery is logged as serviceable and it wasn't inspected, your signature is on that readiness report Infractions involving alcohol,…
Q04What's next after E4 for a 7316 (Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) Operator) in the Marines?
At Sergeant, you are the section leader.
Q05What manuals and regulations does a E4 7316 need to know cold?
MCWP 3-42.1, MCRP 2-10A.7 (MAGTF Intelligence Operations), applicable UAS system TMs, unit SOP
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Published by the Honest MOS Editorial DeskVerified against DoD/.gov sourcesUpdated May 2026Editorial standards