unfamiliarity with the role....
You’ve hit the nail on the head. We should not expect our people on ops to be able to do something they are not trained for at home. It is in our nature to do the best we can in such circumstances but a lack of this kind of training and granted our existing mindset is a problem indeed. But these roles are happening and hopefully things will change.
The role of ATC is the same in peace as it is in war - namely flight safety which is still a key enabler for deployed ops. I do think we need to broaden our horizons on the more operational side - agreed. More reason for a dual role FC/ATC methinks.
