Having been through six airline initials and having had extensive training experiences with people of both backgrounds I can conclude that there are as many variables amongst mil guys as there are amongst civilians when comparing equal experience levels. Comparing a civilian candidate with 10 years of experience to a military one with 10 years experience should net a similar result in terms of (in)consistency. I think some civilians tend to forget to account for previous military experience. Some (US) military guys tend to think their training and experience is of higher value without really knowing the challenges of the civilian path. ...humble bragging and reminders of service galore.

The reality is that when a 10 year pilot is screened at the major level that person has already been thoroughly vetted. I think the strong preference for Military guys is a political one. Airlines have no beef hiring people with less experience and they are hungry to show support for popular social groups: Mil, woman, lgbt and select minorities.