Understood you made your choice and, as someone with zero minutes of prior service, think you did the right thing.
Lots of ways to serve as in previous posts. But what's the end game of the serving? I struggle with this.
If Serving is, generally, helping our country and citizens be safe, maintain freedom and help people be their 'best' - whatever that means, sounds like you're already doing it as a team lead and in wherever that leads you later in your career.
This world is desperate for good leadership, which really is serving. Imagine the follow-on impacts of your team leadership on the people who report to you. Just coming home from a job knowing your boss has your back and gives a crap makes people better parents, spouses, neighbors. Compare that to your staff coming home every night pissed off that you suck and don't give a crap. Leads to booze, anger, fights, exhaustion, etc. Sounds like you're already making this country safer, better in your role.
If you want to bring those skills to the Dept. of Defense outside of wearing a uniform, they are absolutely desperate for good leaders, critical thinkers, team leads - and the impact you make on national security is huge.
if you're near Hill AFB, I can tell you their mission is critical and they need good leaders. Challenge as always is navigating the human terrain to make sure your gifts/skills are recognized vs. resented. Tons of idiots in a broken culture is the challenge, it's a different type of battle (as if I know diddly about battle...)
