I'm not married, nor do I have a girlfriend, but marriage and kids are part of my life plan, and I want to be ready for when that day comes.

I know that CCT and a family can be balanced, and from those who have been there and made it work, I would like any advice you can give me.

CCT is a goal of mine, and as my father taught me, "First figure out where you're going, then who you're taking with you", so dropping out of the race for a girl isn't an option.

I'm in AFROTC, so I'll be entering as an officer, does this make a difference? What if your wife is military as well, in what ways does is make it easier or harder? How do you make the most of the time you have at home with your wife and kids?

I know I can't "prep" for marriage like I can the PAST, but I figure the more information I have, the more likely I am to make the right choices. So any help/advice you can give is more than welcome.

-Mike

You have good questions and they have been answered many times. You can do a search and see lots of answers over the years. Bottom line is that you have to communicate with your spouse so that she knows what the job means to you, how important the mission is, and why you love the whole lifestyle so much. She also needs to know that you love her, the life you live together and that you value her and her contributions to the relationship. You will always take more than you give in your marriage as a STO or CRO just by having the duties that you do so let her know that you appreciate that. Other than that, it's what you make of it. Having a military spouse doesn't necessarily make it any easier or any harder.
MC

I lost an 18 year marriage because I was gone 11 of those 18 years. I am retired Army, but I imagine the number, and rapidity of deployments will be similar. Truth be told I needn't have been gone that much, but I felt it was my duty so I volunteered...