To bring it to a point, if you join now you have to wait till 2012 to get your command.
2012 the expansion is probably over then you have to wait till somebody retires.
As I posted before EK is following SQ, a DEC you have to train only once, a F/O when you hire him, then when you upgrade him and then you have to train another F/O to replace him (1:3)
EK just found another way to save a few bucks.
3 years ago it was good to join EK, today it's different, it's like the stockmarket that was great 97 3 years later it was a bad idea to jump on a train that left the station already.