Moving more as you become more senior...
Yes, that is generally true for naval officers. Tour lengths can be adjusted longer or shorter as the favorite phrase, "needs of the Navy," dictate. If you are a hot-runner in your competitive group (other officers in your same commissioning year), it's usually a good thing if your detailer (career assignment advisor) calls you several months before it was expected and offers you a good deal of a chance to excel (another favorite military phrase). Of course, this can also upset the domestic situation in terms of spouse, kids, school, etc., but by the time you are this far into your career, it's second nature to deal with it. Just another adventure...
Standard shore-tour lengths in the Navy are 2-3 years depending on community (warfare specialty) and current optempo. Those can always be curtailed go to back to sea or to some other assignment where the Navy needs you more. I was happily situated in a great tour in Long Beach, CA, commander command selection in hand, and awaiting my turn to go to O-5 command a year or two down the road. My detailer called and said, hey, the CO of XYZ command just got relieved for cause (bad things), you have the right experience and performance for this, and besides, Admiral ABC knows you are in the command screen queue and trusts you to get this unit back up and running. And, it's in Pearl Harbor, where you've been before and know the ropes. OK, sign me up! Command a year earlier than my peer group, oh yes. Swiftly adjusting plans both professional and personal are a life skill by this time. That abrupt termination of current orders and being sent elsewhere to deal with a problem became a theme in my career. All to the good -- when you are sent in to rescue a failing command, set up a new one or otherwise forge new ground, if you pull it off, you get all the glory.
You learn to stay fluid and roll with it. We have a sponsor daughter who, after her initial at-sea tours as a Surface Warfare Officer, rolled ashore for 3 years to a great job as an instructor at a warfare school. Barely a year into that tour, enjoying living in a real house and working shore hours, she was plucked up and sent to the combat zone for a year's temporary duty. But - the detailer offered her a plum - come back from that, do another six months instructing, then we will cut your tour short and get to you graduate school for your Master's before you go back to sea. She demonstrated great performance and flexibility all along the way and has been rewarded for it. She is scheduled to assume command of a Navy ship this year.
Now that I'm retired and have actually lived in the same house with the same neighbors for a few years, I admit to getting restless and feeling like I should move on to another challenge. Old habits die hard.
In our family, with both of us active duty, we loved the stimulation and challenge of new commands and locations. No regrets there. Yeah, there was some PITA stuff (pain in you-know-what), but that's the price you pay for imcomparable life experiences.
I enjoyed the stories above of last flights, etc. When you are finally all done, it's a bittersweet, joyous, emotional time marked by special ceremonies and the fellowship of shipmates, wingmen (mates?), battle buddies.