Depending on your skills, talents, and so on, you might need schooling or you might not. Schooling is the "safe" way.

Now, education is the "real" stuff. Any fool can go to school and learn things, but what you do with it and the things you learn yourself is where it's at. It gives greater satisfaction to learn something yourself and do it, and really do it WELL.

I don't know where you live and how it's like in there, but if it's America it's probably the case that it's a lot different from the Netherlands. If you finish high school in here -- the middle high level high school (HAVO) -- you could already be selected to join the Military Academy, and if you already have a college degree you can go for the shorter MA course for which there's even more chance you'd get in. If you join the army in your case you can probably get up higher in the ranks if you wish (above an NCO), but it will cost a lot more effort, but then again it will probably be more rewarding in the end and your experience would be a lot greater than if you'd step into the army starting at an officer's position.

One thing I can tell you is to not stop moving. Get as high as possible (and I don't mean do drugs ). Go to school, and if possible work, or one of the two, but always keep in mind the other. I would say finish high school first.