Rat 5, I saw the same sort of thing first hand repeatedly and know several people still in that situation. It appears deliberate. The question is, is a way of dangling a carrot for a couple of years ("do everything we say and make no waves and we'll base you where you want"), or is it plain malice. Jury's out on that one... What seems to be the norm, though, is to base cadets for their first two years anywhere, then give them the base they wanted. Then, on promotion, send them out again to their least preferred base, even though their preferred, current base is short of Captains, and bring them back another two years down the line, even though that invariably means bringing in other people to the base in question that want to be somewhere else too. And swaps are flatly refused. Hence my suspicion it's being used as a carrot (and stick).