Without going where I'm not permitted...
Trust me; this has been a HUGE source of..."discussion" among the ALO force for several months already. Everything folks have asked or thought out-loud here, has been aired (and then some) by ALO's across the globe.
At the end of the day, this is what it is and we'll all salute smartly and press on and this cycle will be viewed/reviewed/analyzed next year to see if this is the way USAFA should proceed, or not, or ?
I've been an ALO 22 years...the process has changed several times in that period...don't worry about it, it'll be fine.
Just have a few growing pains to deal with; that won't affect the candidates!
Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83