Is he being deployed overseas? Then I can certainly understand being a little worried - otherwise i basically agree with Skip - there are many many positives that can come from the structure and consistency that being in the service can bring. I'm struggling not to write anything political here, but let me saY this: I work daily with service people who have similar stories to your son(being a "problem child, etc) and they are the finest people I know, and they deserve our respect.

And if your wife is still concerned - show her this thread!