I'm pretty sure Newcomb and Thompson are (or were) deeply involved with Trask and his "craziness". That is why they "go along" with it, for fear of what would happen to them too.
When Clark mentions that "no military service record", I don't think he means Trask never had one, but that it "disappeared into thin air", just like Trask in 1969. After all, Trask is on that picture in the newspaper with other officers.
I think we can consider Trask having a high rank, but it would have to be unofficially, since he "disappeared into thin air in 1969".
malu
