...Perhaps the AAR, AEW and other specialist roles are best left to the military but straightforward movement of personnel and freight could easily be devolved to civilian operators.
Well the septics do it...
No they do not. The US use contractors to move personnel into safe rear areas where civvies can fly without placing peoples lives at risk. The UK also does that with regular charters to Al Udeid.
However, the US and UK DO NOT employ civvies to move personnel into forward areas in Afghanistan and Iraq for the reasons stated earlier.
Regards,
MM