But his words provoked an angry reaction from some veterans, including former SAS commando Andy McNab and SimonWeston, who suffered horrific burns in the Falklands War.
The commission, which includes Falklands veteran SimonWeston, discovered that military overstretch was having a big impact on service families' life, with gaps between tours of duty frequently shorter than they should be.
And in July, Falklands veteran SimonWeston withdrew from elections for the post in south Wales after doubts were raised about him being convicted and fined for being a passenger in a stolen car when he was 14.