Exactly. It's 2 years. It's nothing. And kids might learn some respect and basic life skills for once, which is something too many people are not getting at home anymore.
Of course we have need for that many people. And it's not holding people back, it's giving them a leg up. All those people working minimum wage jobs because they have no education and fighting for $15 / hour, they could actually learn something useful in the military. Genuinely useful.
bottom line: talk to anyone who has been through this in their own country. ALL of them came out the better for it, and they will admit it to you straight up