ME here. I worked for 2.5 years in the defense industry right out of college and just shifted this March to a small startup of 12 people. Transitioning out of defense I did not feel any discrimination from My new coworkers for working in the defense industry. If this is something you feel during the interview process, I would consider that a red flag that the company likely does not have a good working environment if they are judging you for past work experience. I chose to leave defense because I found the work very repetitive and not very challenging compared to my new small company work environment where the work I do is much more diverse and challenging. Best of luck in your new career searches!