I have an 18 yr old nephew. He wanted to be a pilot in the RAF. Then he switched his goal to the AAC. More recently to go civvie. I suspect that he has been persuaded to go in that direction with scant consideration of the inevitable costs to his parents, as there is no way a bright 18 yr old can finance his own training.
The Forces on the other hand . . .
TOD has the right of it on earning power. Yes, there are high powered, higher paying jobs but even now to they offer the quality of life?