5 Things I Wish I Knew Prior To Dating Someone In The Military
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5 Things I Wish I Knew Prior To Dating Someone In The Military

It's a lot easier than I thought it would but a lot harder at the same time.

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5 Things I Wish I Knew Prior To Dating Someone In The Military
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Being in a relationship with a significant other who is in the military is an absolute roller coaster. There are so many highs but just as many lows. It can be so emotionally draining and for some that lead to a breakup, unfaithfulness, etc. Age and life goals are also a huge factor when it comes to the military S.O's as well.

I'm still in high school and I have my own independent career goals I plan to reach. With that being said, I and my boyfriend aren't getting married super young in order for me to follow him around and for him to get a bonus on his paycheck.

I thought I had a pretty good idea of what'd it be like dating a sailor, but there are so many more things I've learned since the time we've been together.

The most important dates you need to know will ALWAYS change.

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Ship dates, leave dates, just about every date you need to know, will never stay the same.

This being said don't get your hopes up too high or start counting down the days before you get to see your S.O again.

If you’re new to the military, nothing will make sense to you.

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Along with things constantly changing, the terms are thrown around or the military's reason for denying leave, changing stations, etc. won't make any sense to you. However, even if you really have no idea what's going on or 110% understand something, you still need to be there for your S.O.

It can be super irritating at times when you're trying to understand something or even have a conversation about your partner's day when you don't know half of what they are talking about.

After basic your soldier, marine, sailor, or airman is going to want to sleep on a nice bed more than anything.

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One of the hardest things for families and S.O's to understand is that your new service member most likely isn't going to want to go out on the town and do a ton of different things.

They're probably going to want to lay on a comfortable bed and take a nap after graduation more than anything. With that being said, it can be so overwhelming for your S.O if there are a ton of people waiting to see him after graduation. It puts them under a lot of pressure to talk to EVERYONE and not to mention, everyone asks the same questions.

"How was it? What was your favorite part? What was the hardest part? Did you get all my letters? Did you make any friends?" Whatever you do just try to make sure your S.O is comfortable and isn't too stressed out by anything.

Depending on the person, there aren’t drastic changes after basic.

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Personally, my boyfriend didn't change too much after basic. My biggest fear, while he was gone, was, "I hope he's still sweet to me and still wants to be with me."

I'm pretty sure every person who is in a relationship with someone who goes off to basic training, has that thought come across at least once.

Some relationships aren't strong enough to last during basic training, but a lot of them do last. The only thing that changed about my boyfriend was that he appreciated me and his family more. He valued his time with us and just being around us. He's still a sweetheart to me, if not more.

He still wants me in his life and makes me feel good about myself. If you and your partner are in a good relationship before they leave for basic, you will most likely stay together and they won't change much towards you.

There will be countless times when they can’t be there for you when you need them the most.

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Basic training helps prepare you for this so you get used to it after a while. In basic training, you start to become more emotionally independent as well as your partner.

There will be times in their A school where they can't talk. For example, they can't have their phone in class so if you have a mental breakdown while they're in class, you have to be able to get over that on your own. Your S.O wants to be there for you but they can't.

However, on their end, sometimes they will have things they need someone to talk to about or vent to, but they can't. They might be deployed or have to deal with classified info which means they can't tell anyone. It can be hard, but it makes both of you better as individuals and stronger as a couple.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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