In my younger days (as a pongo), these type of exercises was done, normally during basic training where soldiers was taught to cross rivers etc with all their kit (and not how to loose kit). You had to plan which included rescue procedures, emergency's etc and everybody that was involved was thoroughly briefed.
I am not sure if this was an ad-hoc "let-us-try-it" exercise but nothing will surprise me from the new force. It is beyond me that they want to charge the air crew (unless they were the "planners" of the exercise) but are not charging the planners of the "exercise" , which I assume must be a pongo brass.
For the "teaching them to swim" part I can only say that it will take a long, very long time. First the basin, then the bath and only then the pool, but they will get there eventually. In the old days there was always people that couldnt stay aflout, but we improvised and adapted. Things that is a new concept and not part of the "new" military