Lots of indignation but very little dispute over my observations.
We train our own observers!!!!...unless you have a secret research and development arm which designs and manufactures the equipment on the aircraft I think you will find that you were originally trained on this equipment by civilians.
Civilians request the air support unit but Police Officers decide whether the job is in the remit...this would be so even if a Police Officer requested a job and at the end of the day it is down to the civilian driving the aircraft to accept it depending on various things such as weather and serviceability of the aircraft.
Civilians do not coordinate the ground response....Unless you have real time access to the force command and control system I think you will find that they do in most cases even though the control room supervisor is a Police Officer.
Originally it was asked whether a civilian could do the job and it was greeted with cries of derision yet Fortyodd2 sits with a civilian in his crew and appears very happy with the situation.It is not clear but it would appear that Fortyodd 2 is also a civilian doing an observer's job.
Anonythemouse seems to think that he is not a civilian. Try getting in to your old Forces Base sir and see what happens.
Not so much game set and match as scoring the winning goal in extra time at Wembley.