Good question. If they're making them cross-grade/re-upgrade, then who checks out the -1 guys for assuming -2's mission areas? Hmm... Are there seriously no VQ JO's on AW to answer these questions?
Thanks scoober--that was a great update.
So, this is educated speculation...but...
Q-1 and Q-2 personnel designations have, since I was there, been nearly 100% interchangeable. It is not at all uncommon for Q-2 EWOP's or LABOP's or...to fly with Q-1 crews or vice-versa. As far as NATOPS qualifications, they have always been interchangeable. This covers EWOP, BL, LAB and in the front, NAV, 3P, 2P etc...The NATOPS interoperability occurred for obvious reasons. If someone needs a NATOPS check and there is a Q-1 blue card at a Q-2 det site...As far as the non-NATOPS ACTC quals (Aircraft Commander, Electronic Warfare Mission Commander etc..), I suspect the Q-1 CO will simply re-designate the personnel qualified in Q-2 for those positions under his authority. The training departments have been consolidated for a while now, so I imagine the poor performers or problem children are already identified and remediating.
As to the readiness piece...remember, as far as certifying crews for deployment goes...that is a Wing function. Several (2?) years ago now, the ARP process for VQ changed a lot. The community went from a site specific ARP to what is known as a World Wide ARP designed to get a crew "world wide deployable"...translation? The crew could go to any det site at any time. Then, when ORE time (usually the next week) time rolled around, the crew would get a det site specific ORE for West Pac or Centcom etc...
Now, real world, Q-2 bubbas still knew more about certain missions (SOUTHCOM, EUCOM) than their Q-1 counterparts...who knew WESTPAC and CENTCOM better...but our mission commander boards still covered "everything"...and the transfer of that institutional knowledge has been going on for several years informally...ie...periodically a Q-1 crew would go to SOUTHCOM etc...Additionally, as consolidation got big in the canopy there were intentional efforts made to "pass the gouge" and composite crews were built (Q-1 and Q-2 players) and deployed to certain sites to ensure a smooth melding of minds.
Help? I don't think there are any "more current" VQ folks on here than me...please chime in if I'm wrong...I will also do what I can to confirm this stuff in the coming days.