SouthWest has a long history of heavily recruiting former military pilots. Many years ago, other airlines judged whether or not an airport needed to be shut down for weather based on if SouthWest was still flying in. It also says something that this is the first fatality for SouthWest.
I’m surprised this has turned around. For a while there, airlines were hesitant to hire ex-military — especially fighter pilots. My father flew A-6 Intruders and F4s in the Navy, and T-38s for NASA, and then flew for North Central Airlines back in the 70s. He found the job boring, which is what many military jet pilots learn. After he left, it seemed the airlines figured this out, too.