Having some civilian fixed wing training and military rotor wing training, yes there is a difference. Civilian trained might primarily be fair weather flyers who go out for joyrides to build up time while military have training objectives for flights. While we like to go out for a joyride now and then, sightsee, go somewhere for lunch, we have to throw in some training value along the way for it to be approved.
I don't know where he got most of his flight training, a civilian place or company sponsored program, but civilian flight schools are a business and flight instructors are there to sell you their services. It is on your schedule, your pace, what you can handle. As with any salesman, they want you to like them, be comfortable around them, have you two get along or risk losing your money to another flight instructor they like more. Military flight instructors - some are cool and chill, others are pricks and don't give a damn. You deal with it either way, put up with the stress, the games, the attitudes, the schedules, the curriculum, or you fail.
I do see the point about low time civilian trained commercial pilots, however, he did meet all the requirements and passed their training program. He was a qualified pilot. That is going to be an issue in the next few years or more, airlines finding qualified pilots. Problem is who wants to spend $50-100k on flight training only to get a job that starts as low as $25k a year?
The real issue in this case was his mental stability, not his flying ability or experience. Had he gone military he would have been weeded out and never graduated flight school.
