Oh! Jenkins was crazy, of course! It was so simple! (this is sarcasm)

Please note the epaulettes on Miller and Fairchild's shoulders! They're more visible on later pages, but technically Fairchild is a 1st Lieutenant, and Miller is a 2nd Lieutenant. This is because Fairchild got very very good grades in the military academy and Miller's grades were only very good. They were both assigned to the same post close to military HQ, but Fairchild was going to be transferred somewhere else and more prestigious once it was available, and only then would Miller get to be 1st Lieutenant.