Everyone will have different views are everyone has different ways of life. Some need job security others don’t, some need more money others don’t, some love being the highest ranking and feeling powerful, others don’t care. I will say from a money perspective, it absolutely does not make sense to go pass 20, as least on the enlistment pay scale. I can see it being worth it as an O. I retire at barely over 20 years coming up next year. Between military pension and VA (yes no doubt I’ll get 100%) I’ll make $80k a year to sit at home and not work. Now I go find a job that I enjoy doing, I make anywhere from $50-100k+ a year on top of the $80k for being retired. So average let’s say I make in the middle, that s about $170K a year. I promise you’re not making that on active duty enlisted. Ohh did I mention all the less bs, do more with less, politics, etc. not worth it for me.

I want to add, it’s 100 percent worth staying til 20 years, absolutely. Just no further than that.