Former head of the United States Federal Reserve and clay figurine Ben Bernanke turned a few heads recently with some piping hot pancake takes on how the U.S. Army is suckering Americans into, ultimately, ruining their careers (and their earning potential). The brain wrinkles beneath his immaculately-glabrous head relayed harsh criticism of the U.S. military in general, and they in turn relayed this negative feedback to his mouth and words came out while he stood upright wrapped in a bespoke suit and tie in front of a crowd at a Brookings Institution event in Washington, DC.

“The evidence appears to be that there really is not an advantage,” he said. “If you go into the military at age 18 — versus an identical person who stays in the private sector and takes a private sector job — ten years later, if you leave the military, your skills and wages are probably not going to be quite as high on average as the private sector person.”

Bernanke’s is of course speaking in direct contrast to the bright shiny message and marketing spiel that the military puts forward to the American public through millions upon millions of dollars in advertising. That is, that joining the armed forces will give you the skills you need to succeed in life blah, blah, blah.

The former chairman also cited some real facts. He noted that for veterans who exited the military after 2001, the unemployment rate is just above 7 percent, while the national average is only 5.3.

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“The military takes our younger people and uses them for good purposes, but it’s not really adding much to the private sector through training or other experience,” Bernanke said.

The remarks have already drawn heavy fire from veterans who say the renowned economist, widely credited for leading the Fed out of the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression, is wrong on the facts.

“I am not sure where Mr. Bernanke got his information, but the current numbers just don’t reflect saying military service does not help you succeed in the private sector,” said Fred Wellman, a 22-year Army veteran and CEO of ScoutComms, a veteran-focused advocacy firm. “The most current surveys show that veterans are far more likely to be employed than non-veterans and earn higher median incomes in those jobs.”