Remember that they drafted everyone in World War 2. If you look at the pay scales for officers, you'll see some really weird things like Colonel with two years

Remember that they drafted everyone in World War 2. If you look at the pay scales for officers, you'll see some really weird things like Colonel with two years TIS. This is because they needed industry leaders and engineers to be in relevant spots in the chain of command - you wouldn't have a mechanical engineer who manages hundreds of technicians working as a sergeant. Having all of this brainpower meant that the Army and Navy could actually do scholarly stuff. These days, it's all outsourced; it's considered crazy when an officer comes up with some innovation.