Question

I’m approaching age 50 and, thank God, seeing much satisfaction; thanks to the Holy One, blessed be He.
I didn’t serve in the army because I was born into a Haredi family and community, and somehow for many years that was my identity.
I started a family, and with God’s help, over a process of years, we as a family left Haredi life in favor of Judaism.
The army was no longer interested in an old man like me.
I met my brother-in-law, who remained in the Haredi community, and today he is the head of a large Haredi yeshiva.
He told me that I’m a “sucker,” because now this is the opportunity to come to the army, which is now willing to draft even old men, go through very short and not demanding training, and get a lot of meaningful financial benefits for it. It pays off, and many Haredim are doing this now, and it’s very worthwhile, and in general there’s no risk, etc.
It feels to me like a kind of exploitation and gaming of the system, and nowadays it doesn’t seem to me like such a great commandment to game the system and increase one’s wealth at the expense of the people, who need the money for urgent needs.
 
What is the Rabbi’s opinion on the matter?