Originally Posted by Elphaba

Please, go to University. Please.

You can't look after your friends in the way you hope. Businesses care more about a degree than military service. The promise of college credits has not held up to scrutiny.

Don't do this for the sake of high school friendships. The only reason to join the military is that you support the current foreign policy to the extent that you would give you life. Really. Your life.

You and many others are promised everything to join, but the recruiters can't fulfill those promises.

Originally Posted by JumpinJesus

Finish your degree.

Your recruiter - or anyone else in the Air Force - is under no obligation to keep any promises made to you once you swear your oath. And you'll notice that the contract you sign makes no promises to you, except that you'll be owned by the government for 8 years.

Of course, had I stayed in, I'd be retiring this year, so things may have changed in the last 20 years. I just know that when I was in and mentioned some of the promises made me by my recruiter, I remember a lot of laughing.

Originally Posted by passthru

The pros of enlisting:

* I may die with my best friends

* I get beat (in some ways, literally) back into shape ..instead of in a more casual way

* I get all my living expenses paid for - food, board and cloths are provided to me, so I don't have to worry about rent, expenses, etc. ..If half of your expenses are already paid for, this isn't a great deal. Especially since afterwards you'll have been through violence instead of an education.

* I get free college credits, though they aren't in my preferred major. ..How is that a pro if they won't apply to your major?

* The Air Force will pay my tuition after Technical Training School, so I can get that Biology degree I so much crave - though I will have to wait longer ..You're already on scholarships, so this just means you'll have to wait longer for your degree.

* Businesses love to see military experience on resumes, so I get a leg up for the future ..Are you sure the places you'll be working with your biology degree will care about your military experience? Given, most people respect military service.. but will that be applicable to biology?

* I get to try something new, as my life at the moment is less than exciting ..There are lots and lots of very exciting things you can do that don't involve being shot at, exploded, etc., and those things also don't go against your ideals like helping "Bush & Co." does.

* I get to keep an eye out for my friends, since we will all get deployed together ..You could also keep an eye out for them by persuading them not to travel to such a dangerous place.