I am planning on getting married within the next few years (assuming everything works out). My boyfriend is joining the Marines (life long dream, as mine dream is med school). I am hoping to get in to med school somewhere, hopefully a good one where my then husband would be able to stay at a nearby base. If everything works out while he stays in the military, during medical school, our housing will be mostly paid for and so will our food (monthly allowences). Also, he may be on tour while I spend long hours studying and dealing with school, so we will each have our time to focus on our work without feeling neglected by one another (not saying we won't miss each other, but we will both be busy). I'm hoping that this will really help both of us. Any advice on how to make things run smoothly?
I don't want to come across like I'm bashing ANYONE or their ambitions. Just wanted to make that little disclaimer. But you do realize don't you that the military isn't particularly going to care if you're going to med school at location X if they'd rather station him at location Y, right? Just like if you were employed, they would transfer him to another location in a heartbeat if they wanted him there, without a care in the world about you having to quit your job and find another in the new location. Also, I certainly don't know this info myself, but just how many military bases are there located "near" (commuting distance) a medical school? I don't doubt that there is one, but I do doubt there are lots, and what if you get into a school that DOESN'T have a base nearby?
As far as housing and food goes, it ain't free. The fact that it's a housing or food 'allowance' doesn't mean it's free, it just suggests (again I don't know the details) that there's a restriction on how you can spend that money. It's part of his salary/benefits package, just like he would have with ANY OTHER JOB. I caution against looking at things like that with rose colored glasses, and urge you to remember that claims like 'free food, free board' that are actually just allowances are tools they use to recruit inexperienced and uneducated teenagers who don't realize that it's just their salary. I'm not trying to knock the military by saying this, I just want to point out some things you may or may not have thought of.
As far as you both being busy and thus not feeling neglected, well, sorry. You're going to feel neglected. I'm about to start 3rd year, and my wife is a teacher and is also working on her M.S. We're both very busy. We both feel neglected by the other at times. We have a great relationship, and we deal with these issues as they arise, but it's challenging at times. The fact that you'll both be busy just means that you'll both feel neglected rather than just one of you. In a strong relationship, you can work it out though. You just have to make sure to take time for each other.
How far along are you in school/careers BTW? And yes, this is a thinly veiled way of asking how old you are, whippersnapper ;-) I ask because I wonder if you're going to have to find a way to make it through undergrad at one location then move to medical school somewhere else, all while dealing with the uncertainty of a military family's lifestyle. I wish you all the luck in the world, and I hope things work out wonderfully for you! I don't want to sugarcoat the challenges you'll face either though. Good luck
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