Haven't read the entire thread, but I think Superdave hit the nail on the head. Was just talking to my youngest son last night. Both he and his wife did 6 years as officers in the AF. His wife is now in med school at the Mayo Clinic. Both really smart kids. She's looking at getting into dermatology - really good pay and manageable work hours. Son Chris never even went through pilot testing while at the AF Academy - thought that life was counterintuitive to starting a family.
Point is, there needs to be a balance between work and life and your education and job choice/path influences that heavily.
I did both my degrees (BA - Wayland Baptist U at and a Masters - Univ of OK) while on active duty in the Air Force. Got a Master's Certificate and Project Management Professional certification.
I think the happiest guys in life are those who work in a highly sought after technical field, by the hour, or salary + overtime.
Bob Enjoy life now -- it has an expiration date. ~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
