There are plenty of other ways to be a contribution to the country and I am not diminishing any of them. The real question is why would you oppose being a civil engineer for the military for two years? Once again, just because you are "military" does not mean "fighting" at all. As you should know better than most with your family's background, there are plenty of things that aren't combat positions. The biggest difference I see, is that as a civilian, you have the choice as to whether your skills are used for the betterment of society, or your own pocket, and as a civil servent, those decisions are made with everyone in mind.