I fully understand that, I was a military guy once too. My point was, without a seniority number it becomes a Suck Up to Move Up organization, like others above have pointed out, rife with political back-stabbing to get ahead.

A long time ago, when I was in the Air Guard, and also had my airline job, I was at a drill weekend, trying to convince one of my full-timer buddies that he should also get out and get an airline job. He said he didn't want to "start at the bottom and be a Flight Engineer (everyone's first seat back then, at every major, 1985 era).

Then we started talking about how a Seniority List works, in terms of who gets to upgrade to F/O and Capt. He asked, "You mean if some guy is a complete slacker, but he's senior to a hard working guy, the slacker gets to upgrade FIRST??"

I said, "Yup, but that's really the beauty of the system, you don't have to kiss anyone's arse to move up. No matter how good, or how bad you are, when your number comes up, you upgrade. Of course if you really are an idiot they can flunk you at your sim check and send you back to the panel."

Long story short, he stayed in his full time job at the Air Guard, made Col. before he got out.

I have always thought the biggest disincentive to making the Military a life long career, is exactly what you pointed out above. To move up above O4, you have to give up flying and start taking desk jobs.

I only took up flying to get out of doing a desk job in the first place!

Some people love to fly, some people like to sit behind a desk and talk on a phone all day.

Oh, and "...the world needs ditch diggers too Danny."