> Guess who gets the cool jobs in these countries?

What do you mean by "these countries"? What you lived in "these countries"? What do you know about 'these countries". It sounds like something someone who can't locate Africa on a globe or thinks "arab" is a nationality would say

Presumably he means countries with somewhat higher levels of nepotism in the military than the US.

MENA countries (excepting Israel here) are known to suffer from this significantly, and it is a big factor in their militaries historically underperforming.

It is a valid point to bring this up as possible cause or factor, no need to get all defensive about it.

I've lived and worked in the Gulf for half my life, I think I know what "these countries" are like.