I'll most likely be facing a similar kind of situation. I'm working an extension from my current shore tour command. I've already been double tapped with EP's...so the extension comes at a price..I'll drop down at the bottom of the stack to a MP or P to make room for the guys behind me.

This is obviously against conventional wisdom. It obviously kills an AD career...and also any FTS chances go bye-bye. But I'm 100% percent punching out and feel like keeping on the fence will only hurt me if making the Show is my priority.

I want to keep current as long as possible, in addition to building time. I'll still owe another year of commitment...but this extension helps eat into it. And by dropping 60+ days of terminal leave, I'll easily be inside a year before turning into a non-current pumpkin...giving me a fighting chance to go straight from a disassociated to a flying job.

Even with the "bad" Fitrep (the front office will include language to basically say this fitrep should be ignored and I'm still a breakout performer), I think my chances of getting SELRES are still pretty good, since I have a lot of guys who will vouch for me at several commands. So there's my ace in the hole backup plan.

My only concern would be if that declining/regression FITREP would raise potential flags at an interview. Everything on paper will still say great things...just that the promotion part will be a downgrade because of timing. But I feel like I can comfortably explain it, and I still have good, normal progression of making AC/MC/IP/NATOPS Eval without any blemishes.

I'm banking on the idea that the thinktank for military promotion at Millington is different than one of an interview panel. Let's hope so anyway.