Rwy in Sight,
I do take your point, although there are plenty of retired mitral officers here who do just that, myself included.
The problem with retired Very Senior Officers wading in and expressing opinions is that they often run the risk of undermining the efforts of serving VSOs, who may well be silent on a subject for very good reason. Those reasons may sometimes be a reluctance to stick their heads over the parapet, but may also be for far more valid reasons.
That said, in this case former mil leaders may have something to add to the debate. If minor celebs (most of whom we've never even heard of) can spout about leaving the EU with no subject knowledge at all, a few guys with bags of experience in Defence and Security can probably offer some words that are actually based in fact rather than gushing the odd one liner they picked up from a bloke down the pub, The Sun or a gross fabrication, which is what so much of the propaganda is based on at the moment.
I'm looking for someone to start talking facts in the whole debate, so some actual experts speaking out is probably OK.