Yep, your correct sir, I am just an civilian sector ass-clown. But for what it's worth, which isn't much, I am the son of a 32 yr served USN MCPO who spent a good while teaching a SERE school in Florida that alot of SEALs attended.
Anyways, perhaps "operational" is a bad choice of words, but after the 26 wks of SQT (wiki is wrong btw, it says 15wks, iirc), the new SEALs are on a probationary period of up-to 18 months (according to a NSW PR officer I know), I believe if a platoon was in desperate need of an operator, he could be deployed downrange, although I think it would be in bad judgment (I would think they would pull a operator from Team 17/18), but what do I know.
Last I checked, the SEALs deployment schedule is still 18 month work-up and 6 months combat, which is where the 18 month probationary period for new froggies plays in. SEAL missions have become so complex that the 18 month work-up is completely necessary, it wouldn't make much sense to drop a new frog into a platoon that's about to deploy (referencing Couch on that)