A couple other points to ponder:
If you are expecting to upgrade in 7 to 10 years, make sure that you make absolutely NO mistakes.....and I do mean NONE. Some recent reasons for command delays that I have heard:
-If you fail a PPC within a couple of years they will delay your command.
-If you repeat items during your PPC (the training portion) they will delay your command even though its TRAINING.
-If your documents accidentally fall out of their holder on the overnight and you call to inform them, they will delay your command.
-If the other guy screws up and you do everything properly by calling for a go around...2 times in a row...they will delay your command.
-If you oversleep for one of the 91 hours of fatiguing trips that you have in a month....they will delay your command.
and there is nothing you can say or do about it except bend over and grab your ankles.
Meanwhile......the company has a history of hiring DEC's with no knowledge of their previous training records or work ethic and they put them directly into training without the same stupid review that you have to go through.