So you'd recommend training stuff like my gunnery or my armor tanking skills up to level 4 before I do stuff like the tech 2 turrets?
Yes.
T2 gear will require one or more skills to be trained all the way to 5. Training from 4 to 5 often takes longer than the whole 1 to 4 progression, and only adds a small % boost (in addition to unlocking whatever T2 thing you're aiming for)
Frequently (though not always) you'll see better returns from training targeting/powergrid/armor/controlled bursts/etc. all up to 4, and then going after T2 by capping things out at 5. Because unlocking T2 medium turrets only lets you fit T2 medium turrets... Where training all that other stuff up to 4 will give you a boost to T1 medium turrets, T1 small turrets, shields, armor, eventually T2 medium turrets, and whatever else. You'll find yourself living longer and doing more damage across-the-board.
Also, this is apparently a level 2 mission, http://eve-survival.org/wikka.php?wakka=DeadDrift2.htm, yeah, no the first spawn is 2 frigates, 2 battlecruisers and a webbing drone. The next one is 2 frigates and THREE battlecruisers... After that you end up against a battleship...
But you don't actually have to
kill anything.
The mission marks as complete after you approach the stranded ship and it detonates. You can warp out and collect your reward right after that.
And looking at the bounty payout listed on EVE-Survival, I don't think I'd even bother killing anything... Just warp-in, get credit, and get out of there. Then pick up a new mission.