I think you are underestimating the capability and absolute necessity of the ones in these positions.
Sure, you can take that hard working, run of the mill marine who has probably seen multiple combat tours with not much to show for it and compare him to a guy behind the desk and at first glance it all seems backwards. Now consider the fact that maybe the reason the guy behind the desk is why the hard working marine is still alive.
The amount of money you make is usually tied to responsibility, but not necessarily physical difficulty. Kotick has billions to lose. He has to make decisions all the time that the fate of thousands of employees rely on him making correctly to survive. Using your example, if someone pulled that marine into a board meeting (or whatever the military equivalent is), and said to him, “We have a terrorist cell just outside a military base in Syria planning to bomb it, a Chinese aircraft carrier just off the coast of our greatest ally, and some unknown jet just crossed into a no fly zone in California. How do we prioritize these and what is the course of action?”. Would be be able to handle that type of decision? Does he have the experience, the forethought, and information at hand to make the proper decision? For every dollar these guys spend, they risk losing 10 or making 10. Its a series of decisions that got them this far, but don’t assume every decision they have made has been easy or without risk. Its not a show up and punch the clock job.