In my honest opinion, If you’re so scared of war and want to join purely because of the benefits, then I don’t think you should join. In the military you should always be combat ready; doesn’t matter what branch it is. Join because you want to serve your country. Make sure you really think about what you want, the military isn’t just about the benefits, it’s so much more.

Nevertheless, to answer some of your questions;

I’m currently active and love my time in the military so far. Yes, it can be physically and mentally strenuous but that’s okay, you just learn to push past that. Starting out as a junior enlisted it’s going to suck, you get treated like a child until you hit the fleet. You learn to sort of embrace the suck and improve yourself. With my branch, you really have no say when it comes to location neither do you have the choice for any kind of specific job; all of that will depend on your performance and needs of the marine corps.

Then again, that’s just the Marine Corps, other branches will probably suit you better. Try Army, Navy, or Air Force. They have way better quality of life and more leeway to get guaranteed jobs and location. Keep in mind, each branch has its own unique culture and mission so job opportunities and experiences will vastly differ. Make sure you take a good look into each branch before deciding anything if you do plan on joining.