The military isn't the state, even though the state directs the military. I think a lot of people lump them together. What Lowery did was take a standard career path for officers to conduct research on potential new military technology. And he did it on Bitcoin and produced a novel academic work for how Bitcoin is a means for anyone to have agency in cyberspace, not just administrative states or militaries, even though national security is his primary interest. Like, if only a state or military could use Bitcoin the way he describes, it would be a pretty garbage protocol. I don't think he was ever dishonest, but he is required by his position to withhold military secrets.