Why are years of experience working on your factory floor acceptable but the years of experience as a veteran appears not?

I worked for three major telecommunications firms after I retired from the military. All three used my military experience when it came to related experience. (e.g., Instructor, course developer, technical schools and leadership). Sometimes the best of all worlds is to get away from military facilities rich in civil service, they do discriminate against former military.

Doesn't just happen to military. My son was hired back at a call center firm to train up to do work for one of the cell carriers. He had the top scores and was zooming through the stuff and was a "go to" in his class. Then everyone who had prior experience in their class were laid off because the firm believed there was too much to unlearn and they wanted virgin acolytes. Go figure. But it does point to the issue. Firms get pumped by the outside for the character, focus, and resilience of a Vet but then know they'll have to do some baggage unloading. If they are not good at it, they don't want Vets. For general production labor they prefer plodders who can turn the crank at a specified RPM and, wait for it, are unlikely to pursue workplace quality or safety issues. In other words, a compliant personality. The good news is Vets wouldn't like those firms and should be where they are appreciated.

Also consider many Vets don't like unions that take their money and then get no value out of it. Unions too prefer compliant personalities.

I've asked the same question...and it took years to realize the answer. Granted, my military experience eventually became an asset to how quickly I could learn, and how disciplined I could be on the job...the time management skills are simply priceless. That said, I didn't learn how to do my current job in the Navy. When I showed up, there were people who had put the same amount of time into that profession...as I had put into learning to be a Sailor. They justly expected to be recognized for it, and I justly had to "pay my dues"...how quickly/successfully I managed that experience was another thing altogether.

Imagine it in reverse-Would the Corps take on an industrial logger, commercial fisherman, or line supervisor at a major production facility by bypassing Basic and moving him/her straight up to E7? I would think not. Would a SWAT cop be able to enter the Army without going through the same?

Everything depends on the specific experience though : I'd expect a police department to value a combat veteran more than a true "rookie". Same might apply to a fire department or some similar profession. At the end of the day, our "advantages" are not so much immediate, as apparent...the longer we apply ourselves to anything.