no, you can join the army to go into research, admin, medical, or thousands of other jobs. but not without grades at uni and college before hand. the only thing youre going to be able to do if you go at 17 is become a grunt, and probably get blown to pieces by a suicide bomber in some middle eastern country.

so, with that said; have fun sk! hope its cracked up to be all you expected, and i hope your family feels a lot safer in the knowledge that its likely you might die anyday!