Basic Skillz

Based on some conversations I've had with Jessica Hyde and others recently (over the past month or so), I've been thinking a good bit lately about what constitutes basic skills in the DFIR field.

Let's narrow it down a bit more...what constitutes "basic skills" in digital forensics?

Looking back at my own experiences, particularly the military, there was a pretty clear understanding of what constitutes "basic skills".  The Marines have a motto; "every Marine a rifleman", which essentially states that every Marine must know how to pick up and effectively operate a service rifle, be it the M-16 or M-4.  Boot camp (for enlisted Marines) is centered around a core understanding around what it means to be a "basic Marine", and the same holds true for TBS for officers (both commissioned and warrant).  From each facility, Marines head off to specialized training in their military occupational specialty (MOS). 

Is something like this an effective model for DF?  If so, what constitutes "basic skills"?  What is the point where someone with those basic skills transitions to an area of specialty, such as, say, Windows forensics, or Mac or mobile forensics? 

Thoughts?