Other reasons for a regional.
FWIW, lots of us VSPers are going to Regionals. . . the reason: The USAF only gave us 3 months from notification of VSP approval to the last separation day. So our biggest threat was TIME. I'm only a single case, but I went from application submitted to butt in class in 5 weeks. My contemporaries and I all also have our stuff in at the majors, but that takes TIME. During that time, I need/want to keep current.
Folks retiring or are able to plan their separation are in a MUCH better position to plan, get apps in early, and wait while collecting the paycheck.
Good Luck to everyone!