Whoa! Why all the hostility lads? We're all members of the same "twin wing master race" now - as equals, can't we all just get along? Why can't we all just be happy that at least some of us are getting the chance to do the real job overseas ?
I've always considered myself peers with aircrew - after all, we spend hours in debriefs with them, providing critical tactical information that allows them to slowly build their situational awareness for future missions.
As far as transferrable skills go, just think of all the job offers that someone like me, with several years of 4 dimensional airspace battle management experience, will receive when I decide to take my valuable skills elsewhere.
Cheesy1