Would a regular BA / VS / a.n.other 74 skipper be able to do the job as well as the USAF guys, presuming he / she were correctly vetted?
No, I'm not going to rant. I will not, for you do not know what you do. It's just another 747 for goodness sake!
Here's a gem for you. When the very large British Airline does Royal/VIP flights, the management pilots jump at the chance of doing them. So the Very Important Queen or other VIPs of a European country get, as their aroplane driver, someone who mainly pilots a mahogany desk for 26 days out of 28, with consequent shocking landings, whilst the regular line pilots, who probably visit the place several times a year anyway and can usually fly the thing betterer, and whose job is frequent and regular flying throughout the month, continue flying citizens of that European country, and keenly watch Royal/VIP flights on the news to assess the landings. Such is life. If only they knew!