Here come the tech students!

[mudball]

"I've mostly worked in the criminal justice realm where veterans' preference is quite common. On civil service tests, veterans get five additional points most of the time. Police departments also go out and actively recruit veterans just like they try to recruit women and minorities. I don't hear people complain about veterans preference as much as they complain about targeted recruiting of minorities and women (unless you're a Native American applying for certain positions involving reservations). Minorities and women don't even get extra points on civil service exams or preference in federal hiring."

My husband is a police officer and they give extra points on the civil service exam for college degrees and veterans. I think both of those things would be considered qualifications for that particular field. Being a woman or minority is not a qualification, it is your genetic makeup.
That being said, being a veteran certainly doesn't make you more qualified for all civil service jobs. I agree with your point that there are far fewer complaints about that advantage than the specific recruitment of women or minorities.