Hey guys. I'm new to the Army. Im a Chaplains Assistant. Im set to deploy to Iraq in September. I'm debating getting married before I leave. I dont know whether I should wait until I get back. Do any of you have any advice for me? I'd appreciate it thanks.
For God and country! Hooah!
PV2 Oliver
What you asked is a heavy question. No one can tell you what to do with your personal life,...but here are a few of my own thoughts. Just to give them context, I have served in the forces as a medic (a long way from home and from own country)
I would have been petrified to marry at the age of 18, but then there is my personality that is probably different. Also there wasn't somebody waiting to marry.
I am amazed at the way my military operational experience and even other life experiences after that changed my outlook on life. I am now a very different person.
When you return from a tour of duty, the way you see others will have changed. Your values change. People back home have very little understanding of what you have experienced - unless they are veterans. You may be very eager to share what has been heavy on your heart from that experience, but others are bored or not keen to hear.
No matter a country may be, there may be citizens who don't agree.
I will never forget the guys who went through absolute emotional torture hanging on the phone to speak to sweethearts. If leave was cancelled, it was traumatic. I stayed single and was spared A LOT of trauma. I probably spared them a lot of trauma too.
I don't know if this helps, but I myself would not want to be the deciding factor, should it not have a good outcome. Please understand.
There are probably more things that I could say, but I can't really remember them all now. may God go with you. And should you need someone to talk to, (as long as it does not compromise the lives of personal, or operations going down) you may ask me questions.
