Many people overlook the United States Coast Guard. It is a good branch that does many important jobs both in peacetime and in wartime. Its a small service with a big job but I can tell you that for many people there is no better opportunity for job satisfaction. The Coast Guard helps people, saves lives, enforces laws, works with other agencies such as the DEA and ATF to stop smuggling and protect our borders, and when we go to war the Coast Guard fights like any other service patrolling rivers and coast and getting troops ashore in amphibious landings.
Any service can provide you with a step up for college, job experience, and learning discipline and responsibility. The Coast Guard is no worse in these things but also lets you spend your time in service actually impacting peoples lives in a positive way. Saving lives, making our harbors and coast safer, enforcing our laws.