Can you even do one year of military service? I thought you had to sign up for longer than that, which would make it a non-starter for any gap-year options.
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The military is better for more people than I would've guessed. My aunt adopted 4 siblings later in life, giving me new cousins when I was already grown. I forget how old they were when she adopted them, but they all looked much younger than they actually were due to major abuse and neglect. The damage that was done to them was more severe the younger they got. The youngest took the most abuse, and consequently he is clinically mentally retarded and will never live alone or have a normal life.
Second oldest was also a boy, and I couldn't honestly say what a clinical assessment would decide (though I'm sure they were done), but my guess is his IQ is somewhere below normal. Not anything that would immediately make you think "this kid is disabled," but if you're around him long enough, you begin to see some differences. Not someone for whom I would've thought military life is a good idea.
He joined the Air Force about 10 years ago and it's been amazing for him. He'll never have a high-skilled job and he won't move up the ranks very much. He works a warehouse, checking equipment in and out and managing inventory (I think). But it's given him a job, a purpose, and an opportunity to see more of the world. He's married now, and crazy thing is, he can retire in about 10 years, if he wanted to. The Air Force was a fantastic decision for him. And for them too, I reckon....while he has his limits, he's as trustworthy and duty-driven as they come.
I guess that's a little different than what y'all are talking about, so don't mind my rambling. But damn, we are proud of that kid, and I think a lot of other avenues he could've tried may not have went as well.
