When third tour aircraft commanders go "we can do that?" when I briefed an island tour VFR flight, then yea, the community sucks at embracing any level of adaptability. MPRA's "unacceptable deviations from the norms" are what everyone else just calls "flying the plane." The risk averse culture is so baked into our air quotes best and brightest at the RAG that they literally can't fathom there are different ways to skin the cat that are all legal.
This is so spot on. I've never been one to embrace the self fellating ice cream cone that is VP-30, but I know maybe 2 pilot LTs there who actually want to get low and dirty to kill subs. Everyone else is talking about their ATP, which are the best RNAVs to use for PPT, and a bunch of other shit that has nothing to do with the mission set.
If you sat down and had lunch with the VP-30 P-8 cadre, you'd think they all flew C-40s for VR. Frankly, it's pretty embarrassing, and it shows when we go someplace like AWF or Red Flag and our crews show their asses and get shot down continuously. But, this is what you get when the FRS has virtually no tactical syllabus and holds complete sway over the MPRWS (not only who they get billet wise but also what they teach and how they teach it).