Oddly none of that stuff happens if you live by the rules, study hard, work hard and qualify on time, except the cleaning of course. I never understood why nukes didn't at least do their best at cleaning, until I went to some of the guys places who bitched loudest about cleaning the boat. Their homes were pigstys.
For the most part the Navy is what you make it. Except in one case I never saw a person get into trouble when they didn't in part deserve it. You don't waive your right to counsel, you are more than welcome to get JAG involved and usually they do a good job, in fact the guys who got into trouble when they shouldn't have did ask for a JAG and the JAG got them off. A bit of advice, if you have the choice between a JAG and the civilian Attorney get a JAG, I went to two hearings and one court martial and the JAGs whipped the civilian attorneys, there are some excellent legal people in the Navy. You can write your congressman and yes you will get action, I am proof of that.
You'll also get the basics for an industry that if you keep learning you can have a wonderful career both inside and outside the Navy.
Trust me, I don't recruit people into the Nav, but I know for a fact it's not the way Loffy Muffin portrays it as I have seen every situation he described and can refute every one of them. He's giving patent untruths and displaying them as facts. GRANTED there are a lot of TERRIBLE "leaders" in the Navy but every now an then you'll find a diamond in the rough and for the most part I believe Navy leadership does the best it can with the people it has and ends up coming out ok. At times you get some young kids, who haven't matured yet who get promoted due to test taking skills but it's not the norm. You find more of that in most civilian industries. Having worked in both arenas I can say that for a fact. The proof the Navy has a few good leaders is here, I've seen some guys here who would "get" it regardless of where they worked. NaVLI4, ChiefRob (Not Navy anymore) War Eagle, subshooter, all good people. I've seen recruiters come here and actually TELL young men and women the TRUTH and help them when their contracts get screwed up.
All in all, join, be enlisted or be an officer, if you join as enlisted and want to be an officer work hard towards that end, always be prepared and when you get the opportunity jump at it as it's been my experience in life opportunities only come up once, at least the ones that are worth it.
Just please don't try to give me that Gifts BS. I'll bet a years salary you're no more gifted than the average kid who comes here and as for leadership, don't come here with that BS unless you can provide proof you've actually led and accomplished something. You're posting on a board that is full of leaders so you aren't fooling them in the least. You want a straight answer from here provide proof of "gift" and "leadership" and you'll get plenty of straight answers. Babble about yourself and you'll end up invoking the Nuclear Land Shark that resides deep inside all QUALIFIED Nukes.
In the end, no matter what you choose, work hard, be a bit humble, stay out of trouble and learn more than "my job" and you'll end up ok.
Mike