Last I checked the USA has FEMA, which has among its duties the sort of disaster response you are talking about. Properly funding and leading that would have the same effect as tooling the military towards disaster response, and it doesn't require shifting the military's job and possibly causing complications that way. The most support the military might have to give is by the US Army Corps of Engineers and bases providing cargo handling if that's done properly.
And while I get your point with the Joint Strike Fighter, shifting technology has shifted combat roles. The level of performance granted by high quality engines, computers and guided munitions have either obsoleted or conflated most air combat roles. Quite simply, the heavy bomber role is largely obsolete, while the performance envelopes of an aircraft designed for the superiority fighter role and the interceptor roles aren't that different that the same aircraft can't fulfill both of those just as well as two different aircraft, and perform excellently in the light bomber and EWAR roles as well. Ground support and COM/CON are sufficiently different that they'd require different aircraft, as would a number of other roles, but that's about it.
And frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if the mercenary community considered the US military a free vocational school and proving ground for new staff.
And while I get your point with the Joint Strike Fighter, shifting technology has shifted combat roles. The level of performance granted by high quality engines, computers and guided munitions have either obsoleted or conflated most air combat roles. Quite simply, the heavy bomber role is largely obsolete, while the performance envelopes of an aircraft designed for the superiority fighter role and the interceptor roles aren't that different that the same aircraft can't fulfill both of those just as well as two different aircraft, and perform excellently in the light bomber and EWAR roles as well. Ground support and COM/CON are sufficiently different that they'd require different aircraft, as would a number of other roles, but that's about it.
And frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if the mercenary community considered the US military a free vocational school and proving ground for new staff.