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7316E5
Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) Operator
E-5 (Sergeant) · Marines
HEADS UP
You are the section leader. The unit's ISR capability lives or dies with how well you manage training, equipment, and the relationship with the people your drones support. If you are still thinking of yourself primarily as a pilot, you are already behind.
The Honest MOS Read
At Sergeant, the job is leadership of the SUAS section with all the complexity that comes with it. You are responsible for the training calendars of every operator in your section, the currency of every qualification, the readiness of every piece of equipment, and the relationship with the battalion S2 and S3 who determine when and how your section gets tasked. The flying itself is now the smallest part of the job.
The institutional challenge for a 7316 SGT is that the MOS is still young enough that you will frequently encounter senior NCOs and officers who don't have a clear mental model of how to use SUAS effectively. You may have more knowledge about UAS employment doctrine than the battalion S3 you're briefing. This is not a license for arrogance — it is a responsibility to educate effectively. The SGTs who build lasting capability are the ones who teach the maneuver element how to ask the right questions, not just the ones who fly well when asked.
The counter-UAS threat has become a legitimate training requirement at this rank. Your operators need to understand that adversaries are not passive targets for a sensor platform — they have direction-finding gear, active jamming systems, and in some threat environments, kinetic counter-UAS capability. You need to build this into your training program, not just mention it as a footnote.
On the civilian side, the SGT tier is where the DoD contractor and government civilian pipeline becomes genuinely accessible. SUAS program support contractors, government civilian SUAS operator/instructor positions, and aviation inspection companies are all hiring at this experience level. The gap between military SUAS knowledge and commercial operator knowledge is narrowing, but military-trained operators who can work in dynamic, high-stakes environments still command a premium. The GI Bill, if you haven't used it, covers Part 107 prep, ground school, and in some cases community college aviation technology programs.
Career Arc
SGT: section leader for organic SUAS element; responsible for operator qualification management, equipment readiness, and unit integration Potential assignment as SUAS instructor billet at training command (this is a high-value assignment for long-term career development — generates credibility and curriculum familiarity) Staff Sergeant competitive window: limited billets in a small MOS; operations and leadership performance at SGT tier is the primary selection factor Advanced platforms or integration: SGTs with strong records may be considered for joint assignments, SOCOM support roles, or multi-platform integration duties Warrant officer (MOS 7315 — SUAS WO): the 7316 → 7315 progression is a path for SGTs who want to stay in the MOS at a senior leadership level; research the packet requirements at the SGT tier, not when you're already a SSGT Civilian credential building: GI Bill-eligible training, Part 107, advanced sensor certifications, and drone mapping software platforms are all accessible now — build the exit ramp while you're still in
Common Screwups
Letting section readiness degrade because you are too focused on flying yourself rather than developing the section's collective readiness — the SGT who is the best operator in the section but has undertrained junior Marines is doing the job wrong Failing to maintain the relationship with the S2 and S3 — if the battalion staff does not understand your capability and limitations, they will not task you effectively, and an underutilized SUAS section is invisible on the fitness report SGT fitness report inflation anxiety: asking your reporting senior to inflate your marks to be competitive is a reputation killer; the reporting chain is smaller than you think and word travels fast Letting DUI, financial misconduct, or Article 92 violations happen in your section without early intervention — as the section leader, a subordinate's preventable misconduct reflects on your supervision Missing a promotion window because you never pursued the warrant officer packet or SSGT billet research — the 7316 community is small and senior billet competition happens faster than in larger MOSes
A Day in the Life
0530: PT formation; SGT leads by example — if section PFT average is below battalion, you own that 0700: Chow 0800: Morning formation; receive operations order or training schedule from platoon commander/SNCO; brief section on the day's priorities 0830: SUAS section maintenance period; SGT supervises and inspects — does not do all the work personally; operators conduct battery conditioning and equipment checks under supervision 1000: Mission planning (exercise weeks) or coordination meeting with S2/S3 (garrison planning weeks); SGT attends battalion planning events as the organic ISR representative 1130: Noon chow 1300: Flight operations (when scheduled) — SGT briefs the overall mission, supervises operators, monitors GCS feed, reviews products before dissemination 1500: Intelligence debrief with S2; SGT presents section's products and receives collection retasking for follow-on operations 1600: Section close-out: equipment post-flight status, operator performance debrief, training record updates, tomorrow's schedule brief to section 1700: Admin time: fitness report prep, training calendar review, correspondence with SSGT/SgtMaj on section issues 1800: Evening formation
Weekly Cadence
The SGT's week operates on two tracks simultaneously: the section's training and readiness track, and the battalion's planning and operations track. Monday mornings are the readiness check — what is the status of every aircraft, battery, and GCS; what quals are coming up for currency; what training events need to be scheduled. The section is only as good as the SGT's situational awareness of those variables.
Wednesday through Friday in exercise weeks mean the SGT is at planning meetings as much as flying. The battalion staff needs the SUAS input during the planning cycle, not just during execution. The SGTs who show up to the OPORD brief with a collection plan already drafted — not waiting to be told — are the ones who build the unit's ISR reflex. Garrison weeks are harder to fill productively; the SGT who uses garrison time for deliberate section training — counter-UAS scenarios, degraded-environment exercises, intelligence product quality drills — arrives at the next exercise better prepared than the section that used the time for working parties and nothing else.
What Good Looks Like at This Rank
The best SGT 7316s are intelligence producers who happen to be section leaders, not section leaders who happen to fly. They have built a training program that can run without them in the room. Their operators know their currency status, know the counter-UAS threat, and can brief a mission package independently to a supported commander. The S2 calls them before the operation planning process is finalized because they know the SUAS section's input is worth building into the OPORD, not bolted on afterward.
They have their Part 107 and they have looked at what comes next — a warrant officer packet, a government civilian job series, a contractor role, or a post-separation aviation career. They are not waiting for someone to hand them an exit ramp because they built one during the enlistment, not in the last 90 days before separation. The SGT who arrives at their DD-214 date with credentials, documented flight hours, and a network in the UAS industry is the one who was thinking like this at the five-year mark.
Preview — The Next Rank
At Staff Sergeant, you are running a section that may include multiple organic SUAS elements supporting different maneuver elements simultaneously. The leadership span widens, the coordination complexity increases, and your visibility to battalion and regimental leadership is direct. The SSGT who understands the intelligence cycle at the battalion level — not just the flight operations piece — is the one who gets tasked for the high-value missions and builds the kind of record that earns senior leadership trust.
The warrant officer conversation also becomes more urgent at the SSGT window. If you haven't started the 7315 research and packet preparation, the window is narrowing. Start now.
FAQ
7316 E5 — Frequently Asked Questions
Q01What does a E5 7316 (Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) Operator) actually do?
Lead the SUAS section for a ground combat element or Marine infantry battalion.
Q02What's the most important thing to know as a E5 7316?
You are the section leader.
Q03What mistakes get E5 7316 soldiers fired or relieved?
Letting section readiness degrade because you are too focused on flying yourself rather than developing the section's collective readiness — the SGT who is the best operator in the section but has undertrained junior Marines is doing the job wrong Failing to maintain the relationship with the S2 and S3 — if the battalion staff does not understand your capability and limitations, they will not task you effectively,…
Q04What's next after E5 for a 7316 (Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) Operator) in the Marines?
At Staff Sergeant, you are running a section that may include multiple organic SUAS elements supporting different maneuver elements simultaneously.
Q05What manuals and regulations does a E5 7316 need to know cold?
MCWP 3-42.1, MCRP 2-10A.7, joint targeting publications, unit ISR and targeting SOP
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Published by the Honest MOS Editorial DeskVerified against DoD/.gov sourcesUpdated May 2026Editorial standards