It's a somewhat unusual arrangement though, to have a division of the armed forces perform essentially civilian functions, isn't it?

Maybe not globally – gendarmerie come to mind – but certainly in the English-speaking world?

The current US military budget (#1 highest globally) is fitting for a country who is currently at war with the next 5-10 highest military budget countries. And since theyre allies with most of those countries, and at war with none of them, and since both political parties' #1 marching order is to increase that budget, I for one would enjoy seeing that faction be used to aid domestic infrastructure.

Unusual, but very sensible. Military is trained to operate in chaotic environments where basic facilities (transport, communications, supply, ...) cannot be counted on.

Seems perfect for response to natural disasters, which seem to be becoming more common these days.

The military is about much much more than fighting/killing.

It's an unusual arrangement, but it is absolutely something other countries should be adopting. Canada's equivalent thereof (as well as its equivalent to FEMA) was completely not up to the task when it came to last year's flooding in BC.