“In the rear with the gear, so to speak ...”
Well, next time there is a war, you can go in and fight it unsupported; you can march into hostile territory that has not first been prepped and cleared by Air Force personnel; you can make your own ammo and supplies in the field, because, really, you don’t need those folks “in the rear, with the gear;” they are, after all, just REMFs.
psst, I was a REMF of sorts. I happen to be a civilian, but the distinction between Lockheed and Uniformed was kinda blurry ;-)
Sadly I was not physically qualified to serve. Only member of my family who wasn’t “in”.
In the most extreme sense a “REMF” is a fobbit - loud, useless, safe and “in command!”