If you were a character in Fullmetal Alchemist, would you rather become a State Alchemist or remain an alchemist in the "background"?
Personally, I would stay in the background, just because I don't want to be involved with war, and the title "Dog of the Military" doesn't sound too appealing.

And, also, I wouldn't want to overly use my skills; I'd want to use them beneficially.