True, but that could have been accomplished at the stroke of a pen under the old system, also it must mean you are just about guaranteed a posting as the establishment will have been filled while you were away. My case I was to go back to the station I came from but they were going to post me to a maint hangar, my boss kicked up a fuss and I came back to the Squadron.
I remember 1 guy who being an ex flem (jags all his career) who did the mechs course, then a FT course directly afterwards and at the day they tell you your posting was asked do you want the good or bad news, he asked the good to be told there wasn't any as he had put down Jags as his preference. Ist bad news was he was going to Shacks and second bad news was he now had another 6 weeks at Halton doing a piston course.