Also to the OP, if you want a view from the outside looking in, I am busting my ass or have busted my ass the past 8 months to FINALLY get to the point of having the board look at my app in the next few weeks.
Let me tell you. I went and started work full-time after I graduated in 2007 at a company with which I did 3 summer internships with here in Colorado. I liked what I was doing at first, but after awhile of the SAME THING EVERYDAY, it got old. Quickly.
I got treated like shit at my previous company because I wasn't some engineer who had 10-15 years of satellite building experience. Those who actually treated me w/ some kind of respect saw this too. 2 years later, after layoffs were going around the company, I get a call on a monday morning on Jan. 26th, 2009 and lose my job.
I've been on unemployment since and IT BLOWS. The job market and economy suck and I've BARELY scraping by right now. If there is one thing, actually two things for sure, they are this:
1. I NEVER want to be in this situation again NOR do I want to work any type of "desk job." I want to do something bigger than myself, thats exciting, will be challenging physically, mentally, and leadership wise. When I approached the Navy table at a job fair in February 09, I had no idea that I would follow through this much and now I am PRAYING that I get accepted. Trust me, there is NOTHING in the civilian world job wise right now. Because the fact of the matter is you're going up against guys like me as well who already have experience (if I was still applying to civilian companies). I'm sure you're a smart guy, but you have been granted an 8 year (approx) job flying planes in the greatest military in the world and now you want to give that up for something else that IS NOT guaranteed. Do you not see what's wrong with that picture?
2. You have already been given the opportunity and been accepted AND got school paid for. I owe $100K in student loans. I wish I had heard about BDCP when I was going through undergrad.
I know you already have thought about it, but you haven't REALLY experienced the Navy. I would honestly weigh your options heavily. They've already been given to you by everyone else, so you need to do some more thinking and talking to your OR. The military isn't for everyone and only you really know if it is....but I would seriously heed the advice of the posters here who have given you advice up to this point. Whether you like it or not.
The bottomline is, you asked us our opinion and for advice on what we think you should do and we gave it to you. If you want to hear, "its gonna be okay and don't worry about it" then don't ask that here.
You asked us for our opinions, so you can't get mad or all butt hurt when its not exactly what you wanted to hear.