Don’t get hung up on the Navy. Make a compromise and go Guard/USAFR. It will be much better for your civilian career, so you’ll get the best of both worlds. The good news is, you are young and have time to pursue both.

Get your 1000 hours and get on with a regional. Start working on the Guard hiring package, including “rushing” units. By the time you go to UPT, you could be on with a major. Doing that, makes you King Kong.

Don’t go Active Duty just to go in the Navy. Be wary of all recruiters, and don’t enlist unless it’s with a specific unit, that frequently hires from within. But absolutely do NOT enlist Active Duty. Nothing against enlisted folks, but that’s not a good path to a military cockpit, and recruiters will lie.

Go to baseops.net forums and start getting smart.