Kane toad
CX argue that they are training capacity constrained...so you could argue that by doing one less course it frees up sim time/TC time etc to allow more upgrades per annum. Thats THEIR argument...I don't think it will much difference as it will still take 9-10years...50DEFOS might save you 2-6months at best...not worth worrying about in a decade.
They save a course in that you only do one course between joining and command. So even though at the present time there are the same number of courses given SO/DEFO/Freighter FO recruitment, in 3-5years they will not have to upgrade the DEFOs...make sense?