That's inconsistent. My generation pretty much all have the retirement (and medical) because the industry sucked arse for so long that we all ended up sticking with the reserves whether we wanted to or not.

Today's generation is much more inclined to make a clean break from the mil, so no reserve duty, pension, or medical. Some of them will doubtless regret that.

A retired officer's pension certainly enables him to work for a regional, but regionals (airlines) don't seek them out because they have a pension. Civilians make up the large majority of their hires today, so they have to compete on the civilian market. Also a typical retired officer (family, mortgage, kid's college funds) cannot even remotely live on the pension. Really only a general or flag officer could (kids out of the house).