cough *stop loss* cough
CH did warn people a while back...
Edited to add:
Snide remarks aside, it's a pretty insulting move to the people who busted their ass to progress to the next level. Congratulations, for the majority of you folks, it doesn't matter how hard you worked to get that strat, you are no better than the person in the next cubicle over. The few HPOs know who they are and won't be affected. What matters is the AF will have plenty of "selects" to send to the various lower tier NAF/MAJCOM/Joint staff billets to appease the screaming commanders, who've had to hire extra contractors, and approve UFRs as stop gap solutions. At the end, these "selects" will likely not advance to O-5 and be happy to retire as O-4s. Air Force solves the manning problems it created and everyone is happy.
This is just another example how you and I are just a number in the big blues' eyes. One solution fits all, which is natural for a large bureaucracy. It'd be interesting to see the number of people who decline the promotion opportunity and just leave the service.
All I gotta say is the people, civilian or military, who were been involved with Force Management policies since the Debbie James days, needs to be fired immediately. But we all know that will never happen. Accountability is not one of our Core Values and is only a theory taught at Maxwell.
Or maybe, they are doing this in anticipation of major event(s) happening throughout the world in the near future...but what do I know?
CH was right all along...
/Rambling off