Originally Posted by GoPats

Why can't you do both?
You can go into the Navy, get some great flight training and experience, see the world, etc. and after 10 years you're out.
At that point, you'll have your military flight experience and benefits, an AE degree and be in your early 30's.
Now you have even better choices for either field.
Job market bad? Fly reserves.
Don't want an airline job? Get the best of both worlds with an aerospace firm.