They're more useful if they can get the entrance hallway door open though, so i can shoot through it. Which for me, almost always involves staring down the grenadier hidden in an officer's hat, and I've lost more soldiers to sebillian ufos than nearly anything else so far.
Hmm, yea, that would be an ex-rookie, for less reward than the desired rookie exchange rate.
I've taken to blowing the initial entrance door off with the recon tank's laser, and in the cases thus far I would be able to hit the next inner door in a similar fashion, but I refrain to preserve the shiny lootz.
I'm sure I'll run into bigger UFOs soon, at which point I suppose I'd resort to C4 and/or rockets if dynamic entry became necessary.
Or, possibly, a rookie with shield, armor, and a several bricks of primed C4.