Of course he's a former br*tish officer. What're the odds he was some sort of supply officer or other rear echelon support crew? It's always the ones furthest from combat that are the most supportive.

Then again even if he was in a "combat" unit his combat experience would most likely be riding around in an mrap or heli, shooting some people that he claimed were armed, and heading back to base for boiled hunk of beef.

Also if they hold their positions to the death they won't be doing fucking anything afterwards, because they'll be facedown in the mud, dead so you can write how the brave slava Ukraini fought to the last from your comfortable London office. Put your money where your mouth is, pick up an ak, and hold that shell hole to the death you ghoul