...As others have said, go back to focusing on your career. Military is interesting but I don't think your personality can handle it. If I were you as an investor I would just turn into a boring Boglehead and use the trader energy on improving your life skills, career, relationships, etc. There is no such thing as fast money. You only earn it through time. You "only" lost $5,000. I think you know this and are grateful for it.
This is the internet...its very difficult to make a determination via message posts if someone is suitable for military life.
Yet, he did give a few clues...he was "almost" a LAPD (police officer) until caught smoking weed.
Also, he mention talking to a recruiter. Most recruiters I knew would size someone up quickly after meeting that person and will then "discourage" the person not to join if the recruiter saw qualities not suitable for the military.
Further, he mention his high scores on pre military tests along with the fact that he talked about OCS (Officer Candidate School). That's something not taken likely and a recruiter will never go that route in conversations if they felt the person wasn't suitable...
Unless its an bad / inexperience recruiter.
The military could give him that valuable time, paying off his debts (although they're small in my opinion) and get further education (free) including setting him up for a back door access into Hedge Funds (internships while serving for his country).
My point, we do not personally know wabu27 to tell him if the military is suitable or not. Yet, from my experience in the military...as long as he's not trying to become an elite soldier (e.g. Army Ranger, AirAssault)...
He could end up getting a nice boring desk job (a step down from his high scores), continuing into MBA and fine tune his trading skills on his free time all while serving in the military with them paying for almost all of it.
P.S. The three best Army Air Assault Rangers I know...their academic degree from college were
finance, psychology and engineering. All very athletic and looking for adventures on the physical side. I haven't seen any clues in wabu27 message posts for me to give him any direct contact info for such.
My point, even someone with a finance degree does
not limit their potential in the military. In fact, he didn't mention anything about doing anything beyond just being a normal soldier. In fact, working in a military finance department is
not bad at all...it'll allow him to go after those other goals he mentioned.
Just don't smoke any weed.
wrbtrader
WABU WABU