I read the discussion on a military-related forum and people had very different perspectives on the actual situation. The Academy isn't the only way in and most of the jobs don't pay that good until you are way further along.
That said, I had a neighbor who had two step kids, a boy and a girl, who both went through the Merchant Marine Academy and both have very lucrative careers going. The neighbor moved away, so I can't find out how well they are doing and it was about 10 years ago now... It worked for those kids (from the middle of the US).
This is pretty intriguing. Would love if someone would chime in as to the downsides, as this seems too good to be true. I suppose being away from home for extended periods sucks, but the stints at home sound like a hacker's dream.
Related:
Navy Could Sideline 17 Support Ships Due to Manpower Issues - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41331066 - August 2024 (15 comments)
Here's a link to a reddit post where someone commented the article's full text: https://www.reddit.com/r/maritime/comments/1panh11/thoughts_...