I might be overthinking this, but I don’t believe there’s a one-size-fits-all answer. Given their specialized skill sets, some USN and USAF personnel could prove too valuable to be used solely as rifle-carrying infantry replacements—at least, not right away.
Possible examples:
- A grounded F-16 pilot now serving as convoy commander for a mixed-service logistics detachment.
- A Navy machinist’s mate acting as lead mechanic in an USMC armored recovery team.
- A former USAF weather technician repurposed as the unofficial S2 (Intel) officer for a provisional infantry company, thanks to her expertise in map reading and terrain analysis.
- An Air Force Security Police detachment reassigned as the quick reaction force (QRF) for an Army-run supply depot.
- A Navy corpsman now fully integrated as a line medic within an Army infantry company.
- A Navy aviation ordnanceman, his carrier long scuttled, now serving as the armorer for a Marine-led fire support team.