JTD,
The WSOs in question will keep their original brevets just as the nav and AEO WC personnel that we've had at Waddo for many years have. This is because they will still be WSOs, albeit WSOs who have passed the WC course; they will not be branch changed nor have their terms of service altered.
As far as the validity of time in the CRCs goes, Sentry Trg Flt are currently trying to cope with personnel who largely graduated as WCs after the BQ standard was lowered considerably (and such essential items as close control etc were binned from the syllabus). As a result, STF are now often instructing at a level that would have been considered far below BQ standard only 4 years ago. Therefore, what the WSOs will lack in CRC control experience, they will gain from operational aircrew background. Although they will offer different trg challenges to an OSB(FC) with 12-18 months CRC experience, they will in my opinion be no worse a trg risk.
Additionally, much of the CRC CR syllabus is irrelevant to E-3D ops (a classic example being Maritime Marshall). The average CRC WC has - to an extent - to be 'de-trained' in certain aspects of CRC methodology when arriving at Waddington (eg he has to plan far more rather than rely on coordination with ATC). Before anyone starts screaming 'elitism', I am in no way suggesting that E-3D personnel are better than those in the CRCs. My comments are merely a reflection that the requirements of E-3D mission crew differ considerably from those of ground based units because their jobs are very different.
If anything, I believe that the length of time being stipulated by the SFC for WSOs undergoing WC trg is overly conservative. Certainly a year of 'time in the bunker' would (IMHO) be nugatory effort.
Regrettably, many in the FC branch have long viewed the E-3D as 'their' right and I have heard many senior FCs stating that people need to be rotated through the jet to give others 'a break from the CRCs' and that 'we must remain focused upon what is best for the (FC) branch'.
However, what is good for the FC branch in terms of E-3D manning may not necessarily be what is good for the wider Service. Getting a far more cosmopolitan mix of E-3D WC background (eg GR4, Tac/SF AT, SH and AAC) would be a major advantage for the E-3D in modern ops.
Regards,
M2