1. See if your base has a flying club with an instructor. The one by me has IFR 172's for $100 bucks an hour wet. Instructor is $25 an hour. It's mostly senior officers that don't get to fly enough during their day job or enlisted guys getting their ratings. If you're lucky one of the instructors is also a DPE.

2. Use your GI Bill at a 141 school while you're still in.

3. Liberty University online and GI Bill it. You might get partial BAH but im not to sure about that. Kids at my FBO doing Liberty are finishing the flight portion of training around 18 months, PPL to MEI. They will take you with a PPL but you have to do instrument through MEI with them. You probably will have to take out a few loans but nothing oppressive. Most guys have side jobs while they do it, uber, waiter / waitress etc. You finish you're bachelors online while you CFI and you get an R-ATP.

4. Don't worry about being a little behind the power curve it's a marathon not a sprint. Enjoy the ride.