How was it checked? I was told to bring my sheepskins and my professional licenses with me when I processed into a new job.
I guess the Institute for the Study of War people are simply too lazy to ask to seen the sheepskin and are too lazy to call the university(ies) in question.
It seems to me as if the ISW people are no brighter than the morons at the New York Times and the Boston Globe who have hired liars who then proceeded to file stores that were lies.
Plenty of places would require a certified transcript be sent from your university’s registrar’s office.