Oh boy. He’s got a good heart.
I grew up in and have known a lot of military. I know about it from enlisted to officer to special forces to navy seal and know all about the shit candidly from people first hand. Ideals change pretty quickly when you get your first kill. I’ve heard a thousand stories. One of my friends first kill was in Afghanistan was a 12 y/o boy that would hang out and play with their unit. Another was a special forces sniper who had to take out a 16 y/o pregnant girl in pieces so as not to set off the bomb strapped to her. They didn’t hesitate, that was what they had to do- but they had to because they were fighting for their country rather than personal ideals.
Ideals are romantic, they are wrapped up in how things “should” be. Lord Byron was a romantic too and he died for a noble cause, but it wasn’t his own. Once you get a little older you realize there is no “should” only an infinite spectrum of “perspectives”.
I mean this with all respect for you kid and truly am not condescending or patronizing, but I would beg him to consider that we as people need to go to war when we have to, not when we feel like it.
Good luck, he’ll be in our prayers regardless of what he chooses to do.