Thank you Devildog, Pima, and Flieger for your last comments. I was trying to "Hold my Tongue" on this thread. And you all know how hard it is for me to hold my tongue on anything. I have ALWAYS believed; and WILL ALWAYS believe; that the #1 reason a person SHOULD apply to a military academy is to serve their country. And if the capacity in which you want to serve your country is as a Commissioned Officer, then the academy is one of the paths you can go. Sometimes ROTC or OTS is the better route depending on the individual. And if directly going into college isn't to a person's liking, then going enlisted might be the right answer. And I hold the exact SAME respect, pride, and thanks for anyone who chooses to serve our great country in uniform. Whether they are enlisted or officer; Air Force/Navy/Army/Coast Guard/MM; active duty/guard/reserve; etc... I consider each of them equally admirable. No one says that college/academy/ROTC/OTS is the only way to go.
Yes, there are a lot of young people will dreams and aspirations. They see the glory of Flying. There is nothing wrong with this. But that can not be the main reason for applying to the academy. Just like the free/inexpensive education provided by the academy shouldn't be the main reason for applying. Yes, it's a benefit/perk, but it can't be the main reason. In MY OPINION, if any reason other than to serve your country is the MAIN REASON for applying to the academy; then I think you are wrong and should reconsider your decision. If the MAIN reason is the free education, then please contact me. I will be more than happy to help you understand plenty of ways to go to college without killing your parent's retirement account or having $100,000+ in student loans when you graduate. I've helped many students in the past in this area and it's not that hard.
DON'T GET ME WRONG!!!!! There is nothing wrong with taking advantage of a free education. Nothing wrong with taking advantage of the many benefits of the academy and a military career, such as health care, retirement, world travel, great training for a civilian job down the line, and a host of other things. I'm not saying you shouldn't consider these things. You most definitely should. But if anything other than "I want to serve my country" is the #1 reason for applying; then I believe you need to reconsider. And that included flying jets. You need to first say:
1) I want to serve my country.
2) How do I want to serve my county? e.g. Civil service, military, peace corp, etc...
3) If military; am I more into the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Army, etc...?
4) If military; do I want active duty or guard/reserve?
5) If military; If the job I want is not an option because of whatever reason, would I be happier in a different branch of the military, or the military at all?
6) If military; which branch is more conducive to my interests, goals, future, etc...? (This is where flying planes can be looked at)
#5 is the MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION you need to ask yourself. You are NOT GUARANTEED any job in the military. You might not be medically qualified to fly. You might fail out of UPT or similar pre-requisites. There may not be any slots available at that time. (Yes, they have shut down pilot slots in the past). You might not graduate high enough at the academy to be offered a pilot slot. That's why #5 is so important. If by chance, 4 years later, the career/job you wanted is not to be; are you still happy and committed with being in the military and serving your country. If the answer is probably NOT, then DON'T APPLY TO THE ACADEMY. You are taking a slot away from someone else who believes in "Service Before Self".
I guess my question is: If you had no idea what type of jobs were available after graduating the academy; and you knew that they could put you in anything from a fighter jet, to a missile silo, to a desk in civil engineering, to being a Lt. at a public affairs center; would you still want to go to the academy??? If the answer is yes, then by all means apply. If not, then don't apply. And the same question applies to the benefits, education, travel, etc... If the medical benefits changed to where you had to pay monthly premiums like a civilian company, or you had to pay part of the educational costs, etc... would you still want to apply to the academy and be in the military? If yes, then great. If no, then don't apply. I know many of these questions are hypothetical and almost rhetoric because they almost can't happen. But that is what the academy, fellow cadets, fellow service members, and our country's citizens want. They want applicants who want to serve their country. That is why we are an all volunteer service still in this point in time. Because we generally get highly qualified and highly motivated volunteers. At the academy, in ROTC, in the enlisted force, and through OTS. We DON'T WANT people who put themselves, the money, the education, the jobs, etc... first. Sorry, but I won't be "Politically Correct" on this one. That is not what any of us want. Yes, it is part of your decision. It has to be. No doubt. But again, look at #5 above. If the job doesn't work out for you, CAN YOU LIVE WITH THE MILITARY COMMITMENT? If yes, then you are who the military and country are looking for. If you think it's going to be a major let down and affect your moral and attitude because you don't get the job you wanted, then don't even apply.
If you have to take a third, just crawl up in front of the tv and turn ESPN on, as long as you are close enough to the tv 