I don't mean to sound elitist, but IME the thing that kept me out of military service was the fact that all of my family members from my parents' generation served as commissioned officers. Also, all of my family members from that generation, plus all of their sons and daughters had masters level college degrees.
Before I entered high school, I wanted to be an airline pilot, and noticed that most of the airlines at the time were hiring military aviators. So my plan was to apply for the Air Force Academy and become commissioned into the Air Force. In the meantime I joined the Civil Air Patrol when I became old enough, and spent many of my evenings drilling in dark parking lots and not much more. (Our CAP unit sucked.)
At that time we were winding down the Vietnam War, which was (and still is) considered by most to be the final word on how to do everything wrong. The prevailing attitude at the time was that the US had learned its lesson, and wouldn't go lightly into war in my lifetime, so that wasn't a consideration for many. Also, the then-mew and scary draft registration laws that was threatening 18-year-olds with hard prison time if they didn't register for the draft "just so" wasn't winning much support for the military. I had a friend who had a brief fling with the idea of enlisting, but because I was already the black sheep of the family, I wasn't going to be the first enlisted man in the family. That's how it went, right, wrong or otherwise.
By the time I got into high school, I discovered that I lacked the will to keep my grades artificially high to give me that shot for the Academy, and by the time I graduated, I was ready for a break from structured education. When I did enter college, I found out from my ROTC friends that I wouldn't be let near the flight controls of a military plane unless I has a degree in mechanical or mechanical-aerospace engineering. As an electrical engineering major, I might qualify as a "back seater" but not an actual pilot. That ended all hope for my military career.
I have cousins who joined the Army (one joined the Navy) mainly for the financial benefits. They all fulfilled their first enlistment contract and quit the military for good. None of them saw action, and didn't use their cash bonuses for higher education. I don't much care for the ignorant jingoism that they didn't have before enlistment. It looks to me like they got more of an indoctrination than an education.
Since you have money already, my advice is to use it to get yourself a good education. That way you're not going to have any problems with your personal concerns about communal living, and you won't have to worry about strings attached, or budget cuts that may remove the benefits that you want. The post Cold War "peace dividend" cut salaries and benefits for those who served, while increasing spending on materiel. IJS.
Before I entered high school, I wanted to be an airline pilot, and noticed that most of the airlines at the time were hiring military aviators. So my plan was to apply for the Air Force Academy and become commissioned into the Air Force. In the meantime I joined the Civil Air Patrol when I became old enough, and spent many of my evenings drilling in dark parking lots and not much more. (Our CAP unit sucked.)
At that time we were winding down the Vietnam War, which was (and still is) considered by most to be the final word on how to do everything wrong. The prevailing attitude at the time was that the US had learned its lesson, and wouldn't go lightly into war in my lifetime, so that wasn't a consideration for many. Also, the then-mew and scary draft registration laws that was threatening 18-year-olds with hard prison time if they didn't register for the draft "just so" wasn't winning much support for the military. I had a friend who had a brief fling with the idea of enlisting, but because I was already the black sheep of the family, I wasn't going to be the first enlisted man in the family. That's how it went, right, wrong or otherwise.
By the time I got into high school, I discovered that I lacked the will to keep my grades artificially high to give me that shot for the Academy, and by the time I graduated, I was ready for a break from structured education. When I did enter college, I found out from my ROTC friends that I wouldn't be let near the flight controls of a military plane unless I has a degree in mechanical or mechanical-aerospace engineering. As an electrical engineering major, I might qualify as a "back seater" but not an actual pilot. That ended all hope for my military career.
I have cousins who joined the Army (one joined the Navy) mainly for the financial benefits. They all fulfilled their first enlistment contract and quit the military for good. None of them saw action, and didn't use their cash bonuses for higher education. I don't much care for the ignorant jingoism that they didn't have before enlistment. It looks to me like they got more of an indoctrination than an education.
Since you have money already, my advice is to use it to get yourself a good education. That way you're not going to have any problems with your personal concerns about communal living, and you won't have to worry about strings attached, or budget cuts that may remove the benefits that you want. The post Cold War "peace dividend" cut salaries and benefits for those who served, while increasing spending on materiel. IJS.
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