You acknowledge this indirectly, but the cost of education is not insignificant for young people today. Like you, both of my parents were able to graduate college without debt. Both had part time jobs, but my mom went to school on the GI Bill and my father received a state funded “hardship grant” because he was a talented/impoverished kid. In short, our society gave my parents boots so they could have the opportunity to build solid careers and raise their children in better circumstances than they received. Yes, the military is a fine option for some - but for most young people they have to take on ~30k in debt just for the opportunity to apply for a proper job. That's a very real anchor on success, and it's not the only one.