Armchair Warrior is a term alluding to fighting from the comfort of one’s living room. The word is considered a pejorative term that describes speaking out in support of a war, battle or fight by someone that avoided or has little military experience. This differs from slacktivism in that no action needs to be done by an Armchair Warrior beyond stating a point of view vs an act to give the appearance of making a difference from a slacktivist. It is closer to being a variation of Chickenhawk which was a slang term used during the Vietnam War to describe a superior officer that wasn’t on the frontlines.
Examples of activities labeled as "Armchair Warrior" include advocating sending troops to settle a conflict, lobbying to keep defense jobs to make outdated military equipment as part of the Military Industrial Complex or to make political messages on radio or Television talk shows in favor or using armed forces in a conflict over trying diplomatic channels.
An early example of using the term "Armchair Warrior" appeared in a Twilight Zone episode originally aired on March 3, 1963 called No Time Like the Past. Rod Serling wrote a speech for the episode that is made by a time traveler directed towards a banker calling for sending young soldiers to fight a war against American Indians in the late 1800‘s.[1] Serling had received a Purple Heart for injuries incurred while serving as a paratrooper in World War II.
Don Henley referred to Armchair Warriors in the song "The End of the Innocence".