While you may have a point Pontious, I would have thought after years of confidential reports and practical experience guiding junior officers in their development that someone would have enough information to make a definitive decision on leadership qualities without needing to see an old man run round Thetford with pine poles on his shoulders in the company of callow youths, or whatever they do nowadays...
Out of three SNCO's on my IOT flight, one an ageing WO binned it early and went back to a peaceful life, one, an army helicopter crossover had to add insult to injury by an extended stay with R Squadron, for the sin of wearing RAF wings (had toured with RAF as a QHI) when most of the DS were missing that particular badge ("attitude problems"), and the last one graduated with his knees so knackered he had to give up ski-ing.
Even as a nineteen year old who had only just started shaving, I didn't quite see the logic ..................still don't quite see it now either.