Dating/Relationships & the Military

Hi everyone,

I wasn't sure whether or not to put this under the Dating & Relationships section or here. In either case, I was wondering about the effects/consequences/what to expect when dating, married or being in a serious relationship with someone (i.e. civilian) while being in the military. Also, I am wondering if there are any military women who are in a relationship with a civilian man and if there were/could be any conflicts that could arise, since it's most commonly seen that the man is in uniform and the wife is either also in the military or not.

I've been dating my boyfriend for 4 years now. We've been through a lot, especially the past couple years when I was a thousand miles away for nursing school. We did see each other during winter/spring/summer breaks, which was great. He's been very supportive of me throughout my pursuit of a nursing career. He's still in pursuit of his career (PT) and eventually we'd like to get married (once we have the money!)...

Anyway, it's been months since I graduated and I'm seeing that the military is becoming more of an option for me. I understand it's a huge commitment (a.k.a. becoming government property) and that being able to see my boyfriend during those breaks was a luxury compared to what the military would have in store (with being deployed for so much longer...).

I would really like to hear your experience and would appreciate any advice.