@Pags I think we're mostly in agreement, although from different perspectives. It's frustrating to see the mashup of three communities (HC, HS, HCS) with long histories, traditions, and culture has created one community with none of those things. Pretty much all we can agree on is a) SAR is good and b) don't let the SWOs kill you.
The Sierra isn't the -46 just as much as it isn't the Hotel, yet leadership wants to keep doing business as usual, or at least the usual they knew as JOs in whatever culture they were raised in. In there long term, until we get a consensus on what are and are not, we cannot move forward. In the short term, we have whole generations of JOs going apathetic to leadership pulling in different directions, all at the same time that flight hours, material support, and manpower are drying up. That apathy is a fucking cancer, and it makes us look like assholes who bitch about having to care and then roll a bird in the dirt.
That is also to say that we have a lot of work to do in shaping our future, all while we also keep the status quo going. 3 bird Amphib DETs, M197/UGR/APKWS, and *sigh* OAMCM are part of that. So are the things we've been training on and doing. To me at least, we can pay for it in sweat now or blood later.
@busdriver I don't think you're super off base in what you said. We're not playing the deep strike stuff ala Eagle Claw. That's AFSOC's bailiwick. We are working the guy who went in day 1 off new country X, when the Navy is the only game in town. And if that need spun up, it's going to be our senior guys out there doing it, not the nuggets. We have qual progressions, but a lot of people mistake qual level for skill level. That's the same as saying you're ready to do the air show demo after your flight school safe for solo check.
With all the being said, I'm going to go chase my tail some more.