Since the money is real, it definitely raises some questions for me. They don't just give that money away for the hell of it. There's a reason for it. I imagine part of if is to retain folks, but another reason is it's a tough life.
I spent just shy of 11 years in the Marine Corps, so I do have some idea of how shitty times can be. I also know that what the Marine Corps put me through has definitely made me a better person and more willing to put up with some shit that a lot of people simply won't. All I can do with my son is make sure that he has all the facts before making a decision.
To be completely honest, he doesn't have a whole lot of options right now. He's very intelligent, but has slacked off some in high school. His GPA is over 3.5 and he scored a 30 on the ACT, but he has a tendency to not do his homework and relies solely on tests to get his grades up. This is troublesome for me. He does have a couple of small colleges talking to him about football, but that wouldn't be a full ride. We can wait a bit to see what happens with that after football season starts, but I'm not holding my breath. And the Navy recruiter is going to be pushing for him to make a decision fast while hanging the bonus over his head saying that it's will dry up if he waits too long. I can tell him that he shouuldn't worry about the bonus, but you all know how teenage boys are with listening to their old man.