Maybe they want to hire 30 year olds because they get 5 or 10 free pension years from them.

Well, that would make sense. If they have to hire an extra pilot for every four non-retired military pilots they hire (just a random number) and they have other options, why hire them at all?

Because once they hit the 2-3 year mark they tend to disengage from mil and are a great source for covering extra flying... mission oriented, type A, etc. .. certainly a generalization but based on what I've seen here.

Ya know.....‘Merica?

Hey, I'm not saying this from my perspective, but from what I contemplate is the companies possible one. If there is actually a large decline in non-retired military pilots being called to interview, there's a reason. A decade plus of military training and experience should warrant a call.

It absolutely should! So they should get in line with the other thousands of military and civilian guys with a decade plus of training and experience.

To follow the law. And get propaganda rights on "supporting our veterans".
I'm always fascinated how corporate managements (including airlines) brag about supporting the "military" and then give service members grief for serving.

"The purposes of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) are: to encourage
non-career service in the uniformed services by eliminating or minimizing the disadvantages to civilian careers
and employment which can result from such service; to minimize the disruption to the lives of persons performing
service in the uniformed services as well as to their employers, their fellow employees, and their communities, by
providing for the prompt reemployment of such persons upon their completion of such service; and to prohibit
discrimination against persons because of their service in the uniformed services. It is the sense of Congress that the
Federal Government should be a model employer in carrying out the provisions of USERRA.
38 U.S.C. § 4301, Purposes and Sense of Congress"

Sounds like there are just more folks separating from the Military than FedEx can Interview and Hire. Classes are still 80% Military. It’s just that FedEx hires significantly fewer Pilots in general than the Big 3 and Southwest. I don’t see the above as a preference to hire Civilian over Military. Like I said still 80% Military in the classes from what I’ve seen.

My buddy just started class at purple this month and said there were only 4 mil guys out of 20 total. FYI

One set of numbers
 

FedEx has had a good reputation for hiring military veterans in the past. No issue. Also, I have no interest in starting some contest with the valuable members of the FedEx team with pure civilian backgrounds. We are one team. However, I will add one data point to the discussion: There have been about 40 guys from my previous military community consistently applying to FedEx over the past five years. Folks enter and exit that list, but the number stays at about 40. In 2016, FedEx hired 18 of these folks. In 2017, FedEx only hired 3. That's an 84% decrease in this small sample - significant. In each year, FedEx hired approx 400 total new hires. Meanwhile 28 members of this list were hired by Delta and American, etc in 2017. They were very motivated to come to FedEx (first choice), but that call never came. The applicants from my former community are exceptional aviators with great leadership backgrounds...Wing Commanders, instructors, evaluators, test experience, etc. Most have a PE. Some have 2 PE's. Most are retiring, with no guard or reserve concerns. I have received several e-mails and calls asking, "What's up with HR at FedEx?" I have no answers for them, but something is up. From my admittedly small sample size, there does seem to be a poor trend developing lately.