Mr. Cee,
Thank you for the blog entry and thank you sir for your service.
The federal government has a long and proud history of hiring Veterans and while you didn't get this position, we encourage you to continue to apply for the positions that interest you.
Of note, as it relates to your concerns about specialized experience, in all federal hiring any applicant for any position must first meet the qualifications for that position and once an applicant has been determined to be qualified, any hiring preferences (Vets, etc.) he/she may have are then applied.
I hope this has been helpful.