>>6659229There's a lot more factors than just that... Officer life especially is a political game. Depending on the branch depends on if you will get in, and doing what specifically. Army flys very limited number of fixed-wing aircraft, and isn't a great route to go unless you want to fly helicopters (and then it's easier, since they let Warrant Officers be helo pilots).
Air Force flies a ton of planes, and if you're itching to be a fighter... So is every other Lt there. Likely to be on a C-130 or C-17 unless you're really top of your class (and that's Air Force Academy, getting wings coming in as a civilian with a bachelors is even harder).
USMC is almost exclusively combat aircraft, save for the Whiskey Huey, V-22 and some C-130s. They're mostly AV-8b, F/A-18E and AH-1Z Vipers (or venoms. Always get that confused). Navy flies some F/A-18 and Prowlers for the moment, but lots of ship-to-shore planes, like greyhounds or AWAKS. Not much in the way of large planes. MEL is MEL, be it an F/A-18 or C-17... Only way to get stuck as SEL would be to end up in the 35.
But being in the military is a whole other question. Going the military route just to get wings probably isn't the best idea unless you had wanted to be military to begin with. With the reduction of forces, all branches are a lot more picky (and the Air Force has always been the pickiest) about who they bring on-board and for what. I know an F-16 driver in the Air Force, went to school with him. Valedictorian, went to the Air Force Academy and was top of his class to get there. It's certainly not an easier route unless you had been aiming for that for years in high school.
If you want to fly for a living, like I said before, it's going to cost time and money and is very competitive. If you're not already a butter-bar at Pensacola, then the civilian route is likely the best option (I don't know, you could be a high school freshman just starting out and have 4 years to score a military academy appointment).
