Can military service permanately destroy a man's chance of dating, settling down, and marrying?

I feel that, based upon my own personal experience, that the answer to this question would be a resounding yes. However, I would like others' opinions on this as well. Specifically, I am referring to men who enlist in the military directly upon high school graduation. Based upon my observations, it seems that most men (and women) go to college directly after high school and do not have to join the armed forces like I did. Moreover, it seems to me that 85 to 90% of college students are "traditional" aged students who graduate no later than 23 years old and are usually married no later than age 26. There is a HUGE misperception among Americans that 99% of American citizens support our active duty military personnel. That couldn't be further from the truth as I know for a fact that military personnel are viewed with downright contempt in southeast VA and eastern NC. This creates an atmosphere that is counterproductive with regards to dating for Marines and sailors stationed in places like this because all of the single women are outside Norfolk, VA and Jax, NC where servicemen and women are not welcome. The only guys who got married while I was on active duty were guys from smaller towns in the midwest and the southeast who ended up marrying their hometown sweethearts. I got out of the service and proceeded to go directly into the workforce. My workplace shut down and I became one of those student veterans that is using the GI Bill. I currently live in CO's second largest "city" and it is impossible to date here unless you were pretty much born and raised here as the town that I live in is very cliquey to say the least. I am originally from a larger city in the southeast and know that I am moving back there when I finally graduate from college here. I don't want to move back to the same city in which I was born in. With that said, do any of you all know of some good LARGER cities in the southeast that I could move to where I wouldn't be looked upon as strange and/or gay since I am now in my very early 30s, am not married, and have no children? Quite frankly, upon graduation from college, I will be too old to begin dating and I refuse to play the role of daddy for the childern of the myriad amounts of single moms out there who are my age. Thanks for answering my question!