New Recruiting Scheme for Sub Dept. Heads?

This may just be scuttlebutt, however I have heard it from two different sources now, so here it is:

For those of you still in or recently out of the sub fleet, recall the two options for officers after their initial commitment is up:
-They can stay in without committing to any period of time, and get a reasonable nuke bonus (rent-a-nuke), or;
-They can sign a multi-year (and lucrative) contract to remain in the Navy for at least another three years (buy-a-nuke).

The Buy-a-Nuke option is very tempting because of the money involved.  However, because it was three years, it meant the JO signing the contract was committed to one of two options:
-Serve a two year shore tour, then a one year “Super JO” tour as a JO on a soon-to-deploy boat or a kinda-Department Head on a shipyard boat, or;
-Serve a two-year shore tour, and then go to Sub. Officer’s Advanced Course, and agree to another multi-year deal to be a full-on Department Head.

Well, it seems as if that Super-JO option has gone away.  As I said, I have heard from two different sources now that if you have signed a contract, you will either go to SOAC, or, buh-bye, off to Afghanistan or Iraq.  What do they use Submariners for on the ground?  I could not say, the guys I know all changed their plans and went to SOAC.  I guess there is still a manpower crunch on the ground in the GWOT.  However, I have to worry about the quality of DH’s we are going to get by essentially pressing them into SOAC under the threat of being ground-pounders instead.

Myself – Helk, I probably would have gone to Iraq.  I am feeling rather useless in the immediate scheme of things as it is…  Yeah yeah, big talk for an IRR guy, I know.