The Navy is in the same boat(no pun intended). The Hornet community next year will not have enough bodies "opting in" for dept head screen board. I am sure other fixed wing communities are the same. This year VFA had a surplus of 2-7 bodies(for 65 DH slots) depending on which spreadsheet you look at. That included 2nd screen guys that didnt make it last year. I've also heard, not confirmed, that the Naval Aviation was short some 150 new accessions this past FY. I wonder what that will do down the road.
I just recieved an email from my CO telling me that the Commodore would like to sit down with those of us that opted out and find out our reasons why. I guess it has the Bureau's attention. Gee, I wonder why. 6-8 month cruise followed by 6-9 months(working up) at home followed by 4-6 months on the boat gain, followed shortly thereafter by a year in Iraq or Afghanistan. That pill is a bit hard for those of us trying to have a family to swallow. I could care less what Congress does for the bonus. They could make it $50/grand a year, and the QOL of getting out would still be worth it in the end. My $.02