Joining the Service

In the past 2 years, I have seriously considered joining the military. Either the Navy or Marines. I like the Marines values, but my abilities are not what I would consider up to par. Plus I have significant background with the Navy. This is a huge decision that I would be making and I need to know it is the correct one.
I have been raised in the Navy. I understand how it goes, how it works. I learned most of my values from my dad's military rules and hanging out with the NJROTC boys. My first date was to a Military Ball. I used to go to visit my dad at work. I played softball on base and went to military concerts. My first celebrity influences were Jimmy Ray and Jay from Eagle 97.3. These men were extremely patriotic and pro-military. I had thought I hated the military because I was angry for my dad never being home and for the below par medical services. But really, I didn't understand. I was a kid. I wanted my daddy and I didn't like doctors. Civilian doctors are no better and my dad didn't miss the most important day of my life...my graduation. He made sure of that. Sure he missed seeing me off on dates, school activities, sporting events. I didn't get to see him everyday and we didn't have much in common. But I am just like him. I always have been. I have his humor, his love of Harley's, impatience, punctuality, smartness, cockiness(or what he calls humbleness). I am politically aware and critical of the government. Our personal opinions may be rather different but we are both so set in our ways that it will never change.
Fall 2010, I was working on the beginning of my Human Relations minor. I had to take the Non-Oppressive Relationships II class. The booklist was 10 Excellent Reasons Not to Join the Military, and The Green Zone. Both of these books are anti military, not anti war, but anti military. I went to class concerned. I got there and though me and the professor shared an animal rights stance, her pacifism was so intense I could feel myself failing if I truly expressed my opinion. There was a man in the class that was in the Reserves, I couldn't tell if he was just playing along to pass or if he actually agreed with her. I dropped that class. And the Human Relations minor. I determined that adding another year to my college career was a better option than compromising my beliefs. Currently I am working on a show called "Talking to Terrorists." Its a docu-drama about terrorism around the world, written from a British perspective. Its a powerful piece. Some parts I don't agree with personally and they give me chills but I accept them as a perspective. The cast at one point was getting into an extremist activist mindset--this happens with young activists--and they start spouting anti-American/anti-military rhetoric. I don't think they all realized the implications of their words but it got me disturbed again. I talked with one of the cast members David, who is older and he assured me that it would pass and that no matter what he was my ally and that I needed to speak up. I did speak up today. I don't think it went well and I feel I may have made a couple of the Kony2012 enthusiasts uncomfortable with me. But I've done this before. This was my major--activism.
I guess what I am saying is that if I get this passionate about the military and the respect they deserve. Why am I not in it?