Armchair general

In unofficial military terminology, an armchair general is a somewhat derogatory term used in the military, politics and the media to describe a member of the military in a high-ranking position whose position is more bureaucratic than functional; and whose position or rank may have been obtained in the absence of combative effort. Such an individual often possesses little combat or warfare experience if any but holds a great degree of authority over soldiers or commanders that do. The term applies to generals or admirals; often a great number of whom never served in combat at all yet have attained high rank and carry out their duties in offices with significant staff, funding and paperwork. However the term need not apply solely to those with the rank of general or admiral and is a popular term often used among enlisted personnel and the media to describe high-ranking officers whose rank affords them superior privileges and especially those whose education or background comes from military academies and prior universities or those with privileged or wealthy families.