Better by degrees?
Tanewha
The (old) RNZAF system that exisited until the mid 1990s was probably the best compromise with respect to the seniority affored to graduates. Aircrew were not commissioned until they got their brevets. Graduates got 3-6 months seniority over Direct Entrants. I had a masters' degree on entry - 6 years at varsity - which gave me about 9 months over a kid out of school. I felt I did have life skills, but the degree per se didn't make any difference to my (average) performance during professional training.
I have returned to university after 20-odd years and enjoying the freedom immensly. I have found the orthodoxy of the Services - class-riden and dogmatic thinking, anti-intellectualism, mechanistic promotion methods, Byzantine posting systems (eg having one's career managed by a school-leaver) - very constraining, but I have enjoyed my time. My regret is that I did not jump from the RAF at the end of a SSC. The post-grads I mix with look up at awe with those with Service backgrounds (and there is a surprising number at Cambridge); we in turn, are envious of the bright gilded youth who are just starting out on their careers.
But as one poster stated, horses for courses. I now enjoy being paid to read, think and write - and get a fair bit of interesting travel as well. That's what I love. Could be a lot worse...
SE Asian Crash