I've been here at FedEx just over a year and a half. I don't have the breadth of FedEx experience that the original poster has, so can only give my perspective on this as a new guy. I was hired in 2016 with a Guard background flying fighters with zero 121 experience. Yes the lawyers have taken over. Happened before I got hired, little worse now with elimination of recommendations. Over 60% of my class were mil guys. After you're selected for an interview though it's all pilots. I never had an HR person interview me. HR simply welcomed me to the building then took me to a room to wait for a pilot to come get me (maybe that has changed). 3 pilots ran the SBI, and 2 old school pilots ran the interview. Only a serial killer would fail the personality test---"Are you superior to others", "sometimes I hit things when angry (t/f)" The job knowledge test on the other hand was a ***** for a fighter guy!! Definitely designed for heavy pilots--not just civ dudes. Some mil guys aren't getting the call and that's true. I know two good dudes that Delta called first, and one that didn't pass the interview. I also know plenty of others that got the call first (or at the same time), and passed the interview. The civ new hires that I've met are awesome dudes in general and seem like true pilots that love aviation...not just FMS babies (though as an FO I've never actually flown with them, but that's my ground perception). Maybe he means fighter pilots in place of mil dudes? There were a good percentage of fighter guys still active in the guard/reserve in my class as well. Overall, he is right that we're not hiring as many mil dudes, but I don't think it's a conspiracy (and I love a conspiracy, and still wear my tin foil hat quite often). I just think there are a lot of great 121 folks available out there. As a company why wouldn't you hire them alongside your mil guys? You get a good mix of 121 experience and leadership, combined with the military mission focus and leadership. There are only so many slots available, can't hire all at once.