To me it reads the other way around, the big money folks in the tech sector are pushing their influence into the military.
Yeah, this reads as the oligarchy further consolidating power.
You seem to be confused. When the tech industry starts appointing people to the military, it's America that is falling in line to them.
Direct commission is a long standing practice, especially for technical fields like medical and now electronic warfare. Surgeons may direct commission to varying field-grade ranks as well, with bonus structure to be competitive with private practice. Military outsources these technical degrees to bring in blood in these voids.
Electronic warfare is typically done by employed soldiers.
Nobody is taking orders from these guys. They're advisors.
They're advisors with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Sure. The US military has done this for decades to prevent brain-drain around emerging technologies to the private sector.
They could make them plain old Lieutenants for that, yes?
Distinction without a difference. They're advisors.
Then why do they need the elevated rank?
I have a dumb question but is it possible to arrange exec-tier or at last officer-tier pay for something like a private?
No level of normal military pay is gonna be meaningful to these folks, at any rank.
They're right above Privates, so still no one (of consequence) is taking orders from them.
What? Per https://www.army.mil/ranks/, they outrank all enlisted and warrant officers, plus Second Lieutenants, First Lieutenants, Captains, and Majors.
Only full Colonels and the 1-5 star Generals outrank them.