Its a long way from being a Private to being a Full General just asit is a long way from being the office cleaner to being CEO.
So, from my experience, being merely 'in the armed services' does not automatically qualify one to speak with authority let alone an over-view of warfare and its failures and victories and everything in between.
IMO, there are some military historians who know alot more about war than some of the serving/ex-Top Brass.