Aerocat
Protect the Crews/ Ensure a safe operation.
Same thing!
Maybe, but in the sense that they are there to "protect the crews", getting back to home base is not part of it. Getting back to home base and other lifestyle considerations are industrial relations issues while the FTLs are safety related. Industrial relations and FTLs have a certain amount of overlap but if you are thinking along the lines of "these FTLs are supposed to protect me but they aren't letting me get home tonight" then you've lost sight of what the FTLs are for.