Pros
The Navy offers opportunities that can't be found anywhere else. As a pilot, the flying is by far the coolest thing I have ever done and will ever do. I can't imagine any job being more exciting. The benefits are great and can't be beat. You will work with the best people you will ever meet. It's a job where you feel you have a purpose.
Cons
We all know that when we join the military there will be deployments, and I accepted that when I joined. However, after years of serving and deploying, being away gets old. Some people love it, but it's not for everyone. Especially when you want to get married and have a family. The bureaucracy can be maddening, especially if you consider yourself someone who can think. The Navy is becoming a social experiment. Regardless of how you feel about gays in the military or women in combat units, the simple fact is that the leadership of the Navy wants to man the fleet based on social factors alone, not combat effectiveness. In the last five years at least, I have not heard any senior Navy leadership talk about being ready to fight and win in combat. Conversely, I hear almost on a weekly basis that I shouldn't sexually assault people. While I agree that I shouldn't commit sexual assault, it's all we hear about these days. That and alcohol abuse, among others. If only the admirals could put that much effort into providing training opportunities for combat units. I took an oath to defend the Constitution, and the politicians these days are doing far more to damage the Constitution and our country than any foreign government could dream of doing. So why spend so much time sitting off the coast of some foreign country when our country is being destroyed from within?