Marines UAV question?

Marines who control UAV's are usually pretty close to the combat area. They use small tactical UAV's, not the ones controlled from the States.

In the type combat we have today you wouldn't be in combat, just nearby.

I'm not sure about the last part of your question. It doesn't matter what you do in the Corps, you become a Marine by completing recruit training. Afterwards, all Marines go to School of Infantry. Infantry Marines have more training in SOI than non-infantry.

Your rank has nothing to do with your MOS. You want to enlist as a 7300 to be a UAV operator.

The USMC operates several different types of UAVs.

The smaller ones are hand-launched and operated from forward areas that may very well be in contact with the enemy. An example of this might be the Raven or Dragonfire UAVs.

The more common and much mire capable UAVs (like the ScanEagle or Shadow) have very long endurance (24+ for the ScanEagle and 6+ for the Shadow) and are launched and operated from forward areas - but not by troops that are normally in contact with the enemy. The ScanEagle can be handed off to an operator using a full Ground Control Station, or even a forward operator using a laptop system - but typically these tactical UAVs are operated from areas that are within 100 miles of the forward area being patrolled.

The USMC does not own UAVs that are operated from the rear (states). Currently - they use these UAVs as a service that is provided by the USAF.

Marine Corps UAV's are small model airplanes, with a limited range, 1/2 mile or so.

They are not predator drones

Yes you would. The guy in the states (civilian/military) flies the UAV from the states. You launch it from the combat zone.

You would either control it from a mobile command center on the battlefield, or from the USA. both are about equily likely.