Maybe they want to make them officers so they have a commitment to stay and do the job. I'm sure they don't want to bring people in, give them boatloads of training and security clearance only to have them quit after a year.
The civilians that worked under Gen. Gage on the atomic bomb, got the job done. The Corps of Engineers doesn't do all of their work, using Private E2's.
I had some experience in private industry, managing "knowledge" workers.
There is more to it, than giving a "direct order," to "get your ass in gear right now, and invent something."
There are private companies, which have expertise, along those lines. Among them are Microsoft, Apple, Boeing, etc.