Joined at 29. Something I always wanted to do. Love it. Became an officer and a SF Soldier. Don't be as dumb as me and at least have the army pay for college!
Worked for me. Thanks to the planets aligning on the day I took the ACT, and the fact that the applicant pool was greatly diminished due to Vietnam, I was awarded a 4 year Army ROTC scholarship.
What a great deal! I received a great education at virtually no cost: tuition, books, lab fees, etc. were all covered, plus a $100/month stipend (I think it's 200/month now).
I had a 4 year commitment, but served a bit over 8. It was a great experience, and I don't regret it one bit. Whenever I have the opportunity, I extol the virtues of ROTC to kids. I even mention it to the 6th graders that I teach at my parish, just to plant the seed.
Nowadays, that scholarship would be valued at over $120,000, considering that Gonzaga University costs about $30K per year. Back then, it was $10K-12K (mid 70s), and there was no way I could have afforded that.
The Army also paid for my masters degree, via the GI Bill.