I think that Polo has some very good points. He/ she is very articulate and informed about his/her career path, albiet a bit defensive.
But military service is not a choice for everyone. And it is not the only way to graduate debt free. Nor is attending a state school for that matter. All of my three kids graduated from very expensive private schools, two debt free because of scholarships, financial aid, parental help and working during school. S has a little debt because he opted not to work.
There is opportunity to make many and more ( GOT fans, haha) dollars in Investment banking than working for a defense contractor. I agree that the risk is higher. The risk/ return trade - off should be understood by anyone choosing investment banking versus Polo’ s career choice.
I do not know how old Polo is or how much he/she makes at this point. But I can say my D1, working in the trading side of IB,earned a yearly income well into 6 figures by the age of 26. In trading she does not work the 90+ hours a week. But it is high pressure and risk. Because of her high income, young age and few obligations ( no debt, no children, no mortgage at this time) she has saved a lot. Her retirement savings at this point are probably more, sadly, than many baby boomers.
And finally, many people would gladly pay more to live in NYC vs Maryland. Not meaning any disrespect to Maryland, but really? I know Maryland is near DC. But NYC is NYC. Just sayin