Brick is right. If you are a top-tier, then you are perceived as being more valuable. Now, of course, one could question what are the latest criteria of "top-tier," but in general, the meritocracy favors the golden children. That being said, high strats also need to come with top-cover from leadership. I know a more recent example of someone who got a public drunkenness citation at UPT, burned bridges due to it, washed out, re-cored to a non-rated field, got great strats and a top notch record, but got the axe in a RIF. He never really had the top-cover from his senior rater or someone with access to his senior rater.
Also, most of the "DUI and salvaged career" stories that I hear are from old hats who knew of other old hats from back in the day (nothing newer than early 2000's, post 9/11). I would say at this instant in time, a DUI is going to be a career killer until the manpower situation turns around, and the service starts talking about increasing manning. Right now, even if units are crying for bodies, the flesh-peddlers at AFPC are cutting because the money is not there.