What absolute horse$hit, designed for the masses who are challenged when it comes to cognitive thinking.
I held positions in the Army where I had more freedom on the job than I did in civilian life. As a Battalion Supply Officer, my boss (the Battalion Commander) had one directive, "keep me out of jail." During my next assignment, he placed me in an O-5 slot as his operations officer. I had implied power from the time I walked into that unit as a young Captain. Others knew we had served together in Germany, but my competence in the responsibility he had given me soon overrode their concerns.
This jerk Mauro was a teacher and a business owner. I'm sure when he made his decisions, his underlings were expected to "fall in line".
The best response that Ernst could give is to highlight the independence pilots are given when they're flying a sortie. A hallmark of the American military is the ability to adapt as conditions change on the battlefield.