Hahaha.....I love how people always call it "signing your life away." In the time I was enlisted, while going to college, I never missed more than 2 weeks of school at a time. Unless you count a summer trip to the sandy region of the world. I had friends who never went TDY with our unit and got out after six years. They did the required 1 weekend a month and did their two weeks in the summer at our base. They also got up to their MEI with around 5k debt and are enjoying the financial freedom required to work for poverty level wages their first few years at a regionals.

I would hardly call it signing your life away. I have done some great things and partied all over the world in my short time in the military. Your right spending a few days on the beach in south Spain is pretty rough to handle. Or the dreaded two weeks spent in Vegas! If forgot to mention that every trip I ever went on (besides basic/tech school) were all voluntary. Not one of our trips were mandatory, that is why you join the AIR guard and not he Army!

At any rate it's a small price to pay to end college with no debt. I'm not saying it's for everyone but it sure would help with that starting pay at regionals.