Rev Dr Doug,
From my perspective (and suspect from EK's perspective as well) the so called Captain qualified first officers joined as....well, first officers, regardless of their past qualifications.
Very foolish that...as it turns out now, don't you think?
Received very good advice early in my career...join at the position that you expect to achieve, and accept nothing else.
If one joins a company moving sideways...expect to be sidelined, if comittments are not kept, and many times they are not.