And what was the reasons for thinking in such a thing, and why the military guys have more options than civilian
Military flight training is more rigorous than civilian flight training, by far. Also, flying in the military -- regardless of whether it is in transports, tactical, helos, or other, is guaranteed to give the pilot experience and exercise his airmanship abilities earlier in his career more than most civilian flying (I give a nod to the professional bush pilots here).
So, the rationale is completely sound, acknowledging reality of the environment rather than sticking with a single number.