Originally Posted by Southern Fried

Sorry for the quote, I wanted to have it handy.

I did about half my active duty time in the Navy as an enlisted avionics technician, straight out of high school. Good training, poor money and working conditions. Treated fairly but sometimes harsh. Being enlisted means giving up some freedom and being told what to do 24/7 your first few years until you get promoted to NCO. At that point your life will improve but you are still enlisted. During my enlistment, I managed to finish 3 years of college towards a BS degree and get my tickets up through CFI at the Navy flying club. I left the Navy voluntarily as an E-6, Petty Officer First Class.

Second half of 20 years was as an Army Warrant Officer, flying Blackhawks. Best decision I could have made at the time. You are treated with respect and given freedom that you won't see as an enlisted man. Better money and quality of life for me and my family was noticeably better. Added benefit of being able to fly for a living, sort of. I retired from the Army as a Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3).

Whether you are enlisted or officer, the needs of the service come first. What you want is secondary, at best. Will your requests and desires be granted? Sometimes. You will typically be given a few choices and have to pick one for training and/or base assignment. Remember that I am talking about active duty here.

QOL for you and your family will vary based on whether you are at home or deployed. Financially you are stable and your income is predictable. When you are deployed, you may not see your family for a year. Plans must be made for how they will be taken care of in your absence. Benefits and services on base are adequate, but who will fix a leaking faucet? There are many things to consider when you have a family to take care of.

Having said all of that, your decision to serve your country is admirable. I wish more of our young citizens had your mindset. However, you are now in a position to comfortably take care of your family. Right now, that is your primary responsibility. You will be able to support your family as an officer, but as an enlisted man you will struggle for a few years until you can get promoted to an NCO rank (generally E-5 and higher). Without a college degree, options are limited in terms of being an officer. Without a degree, you can still be an Army Warrant Officer and fly if that's what you want.

Just remember that it's no longer just you. Your life is now dedicated to taking care of your wife and children. That's forever, by the way. If you were single, I'd say it's a no-brainer. Being a husband and father makes your decision impact them as well. You sound like you are an intelligent young man who cares for his wife and children. If I were in your shoes with no degree and a family to support, I would not consider enlistment. If you are determined to serve, decide what's more important to you: being a leader (commissioned officer), or do you want to fly? If you are more concerned with being a leader and developing your management skills, I'd say you need to get your degree first and then volunteer to be a commissioned officer (you can also be a pilot). If you just want to make the leap and are more focused on being a pilot, I'd say volunteer to be an Army Warrant Officer as an aviator. I advise against being an enlisted man in your current situation.

Whatever decision you make, be very careful when it comes time to sign the papers. Make sure you know what you are volunteering for! Also, remember that once you sign those papers, you are committed to the service. You will do what you are told, or face the consequences. There is no such thing as quitting (without severe consequences). Life gets better after training and you have learned your specialty, but you belong to Uncle Sam regardless.

Good luck.

Edit: I just remembered reading that you have color blindness. Have you determined if this will disqualify you for a flight slot in the military? You must find out where you stand with that before moving forward. Medical issues are difficult at best to overcome as a flight candidate. I'll leave those parts of my post for those who might be interested. BTW, there are some interesting IT careers in the military, both Enlisted and Officer.