Well, one of my colleagues has just resigned to go to a large EMS and police operator (Bo 105s and EC135s) with no military experience (though admitedly SAR and Falklands) and another joined them a couple of months ago, again with no prior military background. Two others I know left a while ago and went to the Manchester ASU.
So it can happen. I still think it naiive though be suprised by the number of ex military guys doing the job. Of course an operator wants someone who can jump straight into the job with the minimum amount of line training and liability. There is no suggestion that no prior experience suggests inferiority, it is a simple operational reality. Similarly someone with N,000 hours onshore in a B206 would not jump into an offshore command.
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Another day in paradise