Anoreth joined the Coast Guard at 18. She wanted Something Totally Different, and got it! Now she’s planning to re-up, having nothing else major that she wants to do with the next 4 hours.
On the other hand, Bill is sitting home, at 19, listening to me bitch, complaining about sharing a room with room, and his big idea is going to the local state university branch next year, after another year at community college. Not that that’s bad, compared to huge student loans and no (or a useless) degree, but he has a lot of ability: academic, musical, and artistic.
I meant to say “four years,” but given Anoreth’s event horizon, “four hours” isn’t totally wrong. If she gets the urge for college, it can be worked out in the context of a Gunny’s life in the Coast Guard.