Dad lost his job in the military?

Hi recently my father lost his job in the air force without so much as a warning. He was only 4 years away from retiring. 16 years hes dedicated to them and they're just going to toss him out with no help. I know that the economy is tough right now but I always thought the Military promised a secure job. This all happened because my dads boss made a mistake which caused him to not get a promotion, they said if he had received it he would have been kept. I was just wondering if they're was a way to fight this. I know this may sound dumb but 4 more years was all he needed. I just don't think its fair that all the benefits hes worked for are going to be taken away. I'm more upset about it than he is but I think its just him trying to be strong for us.