Sam, why are you only looking at the extremes? Yeshivat Ponevich flies the flag every Yom haAtzmaut and the National Religious Rabbanit Chana Shachor wrote that the message of “Dayeinu” is that we must thank Hashem for what he has given us even thoug there is more to go (and Rav Tzvi Yehuda said pn many occasions that there is still a long road ahead, as is stted in the Yerushalmi Berachotr 1:1 “the Geula comes slowly in stages”).
As for limud Tora giving the Army zechut to succeed, this is true. However, the Army enables limud Tora to exist (Sanhedrin 49a).If a person is capable of learning at a high level he should be learning. If he has a strong mida of gevura he should be in the Army. The vast majority should do some combination and then work while being koveia itim laTora.