I wish I could say that I was in my first year of service, but it's been a few more than that. I'm definitely not new to this gig. CCC is necessary if you want to promote to LTC (being promoted to a MAJ is a given unless you have done something fairly stupid and likely repeatedly). You most likely will go to the LTC promotion board at year 11 for consideration. If you are getting out at year 11 or 12, then it won't ever effect your pay. About half of the MAJ I have encountered haven't even done CCC. BTW the time you will be in the army after being chosen to an OMS residency is 9.5 years (chosen 1.5 yrs before starting + 4 yrs residency + 4 years payback). I understand what you are saying about the brigade dentists, but I think it was more of an issue of two separate boards not communicating properly for the AEGD acceptance and residency acceptance. Even if all those AEGD residents (that were also picked for a residency) could complete the full 12 months, who cares. It's essentially a wasted AEGD spot that should be given to someone else who is going to practice general dentistry. My point about deployment is also pertinent to the history of OMS residency success in the past. Many, many, many residents have failed out of OMS residencies in the army--given this history, wouldn't it be a wiser use of resources to allow someone to prepare for OMS residency than deploy them 9 months right before residency? I am all for the wisest use of resources. After all they will have 4 years as a 63N to deploy. BTW...I am not actually in too much danger of deploying by the OML (probably 5-6 on the OML....well once all the babies get off 'profile' for all their sore knees and shoulders), but I have been asked a couple of times to consider volunteering and I just have to laugh at the logic. I'm in for the long haul and I will likely deploy as a 63N. Deploying is actually freaking fantastic for retirement since you can unload 50K+ into a Roth IRA every year you deploy.