Graduate degrees
Living in US, I observe that, to get anywhere, one is pressured from the get-go to attain some kind of higher education check in the box.
Criticism of Baccalaureate US degrees has some foundation, but of course there are also good schools (sidebar- a major problem with education in US is that, in the supposed interest in preserving individual State's rights/autonomy, no one will agree to a 'universal' syllabus).
Associate degrees (foundation/conversion to baccalaureate) are all the rage, and though in many cases a joke, necessary to try to move up the food chain.
As to whether degrees have applicability in the military- probably not, but that depends on current policy from the Brass. They can however be a good backstop in transition to civvy street- I speak from experience. My Bsc in Under-Water Basket Weaving got me where I wanted to be living after Endex (oafs duly impressed when I pointed out that a Brit 3 year is at least equivalent to a US 4 year BS. All the stuff about Uni being worthwhile is true. An observation : if you join up and have major career aspirations (Marshal of the RAF, Chairman Joint Chiefs), there's something wrong wit' you, though you'll probably go far in a 'peacetime' military.
Acronyms(US):
BS- Bulls**t
MS-More s**t
Phd- Piled high and deeper
Anecdote : 2 days to first year college exams, was taking rays on roof of tower block residence during last good summer in UK(1976) putatively studying Physics notes.. awoke to find, as binder was unclipped, most of pages had gone awol in breeze. Kept finding odd pages for days afterwards, scattered across campus.
Through difficulties to Asda
F.I.D.O.