"Note that only the skirmish version allows commanders to be fighting units. At the normal game mode they are too busy running the show to fight... unless as AA of course."
Stick 'em in a Rifleman model and say it's too busy providing flak to fight normally. And too rubbish
Actually, doesn't BKC2 have a sidebar note on "fighting commanders"? Think as stenicplus suggests they work a bit like the skirmish level commanders...