Now for my threepunce worth.
Civvy SAR units, at the moment anyway, operate with two engineers per shift, and one on days plus a labourer, on a weekday that is. At weekends there are just two. They are usually, what used to be known in the mob as self supervising for component replacement and aircraft checks, namely Licensed Engineers. If a flying or engine control is disturbed then another Licensed Engineer, or two depending on which flying control it is, has to carry out what is known as a duplicate inspection. They also carry out all the tasks mentioned by SARowl, and a few more come to that.
That is were your cost saving comes in! Two compared to how many on a Mil. SAR unit? That is not a dig!! In the dim and distant, I was on a MIL. unit so have seen both sides.
You cannot cut down a four man crew so the aircrew are pretty safe unless the beancounters decide that the front seats can be filled by lower ranks. ie. Less pay.
The military also has to train more, as previous posts have pointed out, for what ever reason, right or wrong!