As an example, during my first few flights with Ansett we taxied in one way to an apron one afternoon and then on the way out had to taxi another way and back track the runway... when I asked the captain why we just didn't go out the way we had just come in an hour earlier he said it was unlit and therefore not usable. Probably right too...but...... to me as a RAAF pilot I would have just used the lights that the aircraft has fitted... I can't see how any obstacles could have 'magically' appeared in an hour... just to illustrate the difference in operational control that exists between the military and civll ops.
An outstanding example of your tactical flair mate.....
I would suggest the Ansett Captain was using very effective risk assesment- would you risk a 300 to 400 thousand dollar a year job ( in today's dollars ) on an unlit taxiway with a cocky-new co-pilot as support?
A safe and sensible option.
Incidentally, there a few Ansett pilots who flew tankers with SAC, as captains, on nuclear standby or sitting in race tracks above the north pole. Well under a thousand hours had them as commanders in a military skills-set they themselves said was unexceptional. And I doubt one of them would be inclined to risk being busted back to an F/O, retrained or whatever; by taxiing down an unlit apron.
There is a can not attitude in Defence. If Australia was ever to go to war, assets such as tankers and AWACs need high numbers of crews- look at USAF Gulf War hours for reservists on transports etc.
Using civilian pilots without military experience ridiculuous- except for VIP op's perhaps.
Maintaining a reserve of crews to quickly bring assets to wartime utilization rates if need be common sense- hundreds of ex-RAAF pilots are current on Airbus or Boeing. How can it not be done economically and with minimal strains on current resources? Attracting guys is easy- pilots are suckers for tax breaks etc.
Having a pool of crews, current on civilian jets used by the RAAF, could without fanfare be bolted on to AWAC & tanker squadrons in time of war.