I got my command aged 39 and held it for 18 months. 9/11 saw many changes and I have chosen lifestyle over promotion. This, potentially, puts a command 5 to 7 years away. However . . . Having 'ticked the box' I am no longer particularly 'command hungry'.
18 months in the LHS exposed me to a pretty full range of issues and, I have to say, the novelty of the LHS wears off.
Now . . . If 9/11 had occured when I was still in the RHS I would be running around like a bear with a sore head.
At the end of the day 'Fate is the Hunter' when you embark upon aviation. I am a darned sight luckier than my 4 RAF colleagues who landed too fast in the wrong place.