I agree, desertion isn't smart. However, I also know the military isn't what it use to be. I am former military in THIS generation. Recruiters are very shady and deceptive when telling potential recruits what they can expect in the military and what benefits they can have.
For instance, I was promised an $11k sign-up bonus that I never got. Most of the 30 people in my orientation class at my first command had a similar story and had been shafted out of their bonuses.
I joined the military for college benefits too because they had a tuition assistance program. I enrolled in some classes and the military agreed to pay for them. Then my command refused to let me attend class. Naturally, I flunked out and they tried to make me pay back the money they spent to enroll me. I told them to go to h*ll.
The military is full of deception and shady politics and promises aren't worth a thing anymore. I don't know how many times I heard one of our "lifers" say the military has seriously fallen far from what it use to be. We are actually trained to spot potentially suicidal people because military suicides are actually a problem!
However, as much as I disagree with the military's treatment of their own these days, I didn't desert. I finished my time and just left, which was my plan from the beginning anyway (even though my command tried to screw 2 more years onto me through some crap loophole). The best advice I can offer to anyone looking to join the military in this day and age is talk to someone who has been in it in recent years (same branch if possible). Learn what it's all about before making the big decision and learn how to play their political game and what your rights are. Don't get your info from a recruiter!!!!!