A gentleman and a scholar best known by his last name, Satre, wrote extensively on the topic of 'bad faith'.

He explained that deferring ones decisions to another, knowing that they will exert influence over you greater than your own, is an inherently immoral scheme to create a sense of absolution of moral responsibility in yourself while enjoying the rewards of that pursuit, noble or otherwise.

Participating in the military is a prime example of giving your moral responsiblity to a chain of command culminating in civilian leadership with power distributed in the majority of people - the mean, the average. As a vessal of this kind of mediocrity, you will never be better than average in your social standing, nor enjoy the euphoria of moral righteousness.

There are more options than business and soldiering. Scientific pursuits, for one :)

470 makes a perfect argument... against participation in all society in general; an ailment for which the only practicable cure is death. As for your family's tradition of service, what are we really serving? Now, I am no patriot-- a soldering life is in my soul, but I just don't fit in-- so I will never recommend military service except as last resort for only a few people; but I will also never recommend against it if it's what you feel the need to do.

I have enlisted in two different branches of military at two different times, for two different sets of reasons, and those terms included going to war and other such simultaneously glorious and unsavory/despicable activities. Speaking from that experience, there is no way they can brainwash you into a mindless killer if you're not already predisposed to letting them. The military life is, however, and insiders game. If you measure your success as rising through the ranks, you'll have to become exactly like all the crooked bastards around you, and beat them at their own game; there is virtually no way of getting anywhere otherwise.

470's mediocrity doesn't stem from the people or governance, but from the fact that it is very difficult to get fired from the military, so the people who make careers of it tend to be those who can't do a satisfactory job on the outside. That is the reputation your enlisted subordinates will saddle you with from the get go, as well as your leaders' expectation of social conformity to them. If that is something you think you can work around (for god's sake,not with) then by all means, do your thing.

I too have given this sort of occupation due consideration. Bear in mind that enlisting with the military is a time-honored option for young gentlemen with limited prospects.
In our day and age, the likelihood of your dying in combat are considerably lower than they've been for centuries, and military pay, especially for officers, ESPECIALLY compared to entry level private sector jobs, is quite good.
If you wish to avoid being a killer, mindless or otherwise, than joining with the coastguard or the air force are you better options.
Two generations of my family can vouch that even the enlisted life in the air force is reasonably comfortable and satisfying compared to other branches. However, if satisfaction with your "greater cause" demands action, you'd best turn elsewhere. A friend of mine, a former soldier, makes no secret that the army sniggers behind its back at the "chair force."
But given their great subsidization of university costs, and the more than adequate pay and benefits, I would recommend it. (I'll do it myself after completing my current work contract.)