Alright, right now I'm finishing up my Junior year of High School and starting to plan everything from what classes I'm taking next year to what colleges I'm applying too. There's a few paths that I'm thinking about taking and I want to make sure I choose the right one, since it'll have a major effect on my life.

I've been considering either going to school and getting my degree, or going to school doing AFROTC while I'm there, getting my degree, and entering the USAF as an officer (Enlisted service is not an option for me). The purpose of this thread is to get an unbiased opinion from people who have served in the US Armed Forces (Preferably someone from the Air Force) about what it's like. I know that a recruiter is going to try and sell it too me and make it sound all nice and easy. I want to know what it's really going to be like, the good, the bad and the ugly, all of it. What's AFROTC going to be like? How's active duty and how hard is it to advance up the ranks? Are the benefits good? How are the occupations and jobs that they offer? How much down time do I get on average? If I do get deployed what's it going to be like? I want to know the whole nine yards from someone who's done it before. I don't want a recruiter selling it to me and then after I sign up find out it's not what I thought it was going to be. I want to know if it's going to be worth it in the long run.

As far as qualifications go I think I fit the bill rather nicely. I've been in good athletic condition my whole life (I do sports year round). I'm in the top 10 in my graduating class (Just got a 28 composite on the ACT without studying for it at all - it was a last minute thing). GPA is around 3.85. I'm a pretty damn good shot with a rifle (I normally shoot anywhere from 200-500yds at 12"x12" steel plates), even though things like that don't matter much in the AF.

So, can any of you guys out there clear up the picture for me?