didn't realize he was a civilian. I just wanted people know that it's possible. I know you hate to be proven wrong, but I didn't want an opportunity to be stripped from someone because they were told by someone on AW it wasn't possible.
It is not about being proven wrong, it is about what the process is supposed to be and then what happened to you, those two things are not equal.
It also isn't Mr Celestine who makes that decision it is the PM, when the PM's change some will follow the rules to the letter and will reject AD just like they will civilians.
Too often people on this site will say "I did this and you should be able too" but people need to plan and go by what is the normal process.
It is good that you were lucky and did that, not everyone will have that luck.