I believe that yours is an accurate statement .
Coercion is a powerfull political and financial tool.
I have heard it said that rank of Captain and below is based on ability ;
above the Captain rank,it is more political , and based on ability to secure lucrative contracts .
An afterthought after I posted that reply: From what I’ve heard thru the years about the “revolving door” for high ranking military officers and the “Military-Industrial Complex” I can’t see why Ham would need to kiss anybody’s backside. I’d think he could take his retirement and get a cushy gig in some corporation.