Not sure what military they will be serving in, but it most certainly wasn't the same one I did. You get into the 100K range once you attain Lt. Col (05) at the 20 year served mark. Now, there are incentives pending job status, but those incentives are boosted for very specific roles such as doctors and certain types of aircraft pilots. A generic supply/intel/transportation/ordinance/infantry etc. officer, like many of these cats become, won't flirt with 100K unless/until they advance up the ranks AND serve years of time. And, again, it takes sometimes easily a decade to get to 0-3, Captain. And a captain in the military caps out at 80K after 14 years served and never changes up to and through 40 years in that same rate.
There is nothing wrong with going the academy route, but let's not push false information into naive ears.
Maybe, juuuuust maybe, he Mr. Irons chose this route because he wants to serve country and not self? And not chase the imaginary money you're referring to?