Hello everyone, this is my first post though I have frequented these forums for over a year now. I just had to chime in on this topic. I am a pre-med student right now and I just finished up 5 years active duty Army. During those 5 years I have been away from my wife and daughter for 3 of them, not sitting safely on some FOB over there but rather as an Infantryman out doing the fighting. I saw my daughter for 3 months out of her first 16. This last deployment I had a period of 5 months when I had exactly one day off and most of the rest of the 15 months weren't much different, and this in 120F heat with 60+ pounds of gear. Daily IVs were a way of life hah. The deployment before that in Afghanistan, I had several periods of one month or more when I could only talk to my wife on the phone for a precious 10 minutes or less. Email was equally inaccessible over there. I won't even try to articulate how exceedingly difficult our "work conditions" were. I'm not complaining for the simple fact that I chose it, I volunteered for it. However I think this justifies me in commenting here on how time demanding careers can put a strain on a relationship. As Scottish Chap and some others have so wisely pointed out, there are many very difficult jobs in addition to that of medicine. Most of which have the luxury of allowing you to at least communicate consistently with your wife and of not having to worry about getting shot or blown up
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Certainly I have seen a great many other soldiers marriages disintegrate due to the long months away and the sometimes very limited communication back home. It can be very difficult, but I have also seen many soldier's relationships make it. My wife and I have a wonderful marriage, and it has only gotten stronger. An old Special Forces soldier once told me that the military, and I dare extend this to any difficult job, is like a magnifying glass on your marriage. If you have a good marriage it will generally get better, if you have a poor marriage it will generally get worse. Some people don't truly know what kind of a marriage they have until that magnifying glass of trial and tribulation comes out.
I attribute the continued happiness of my marriage through very trying times, to my wife, and that is my humble piece of advice here. That so much depends on the spouse. Of course your own efforts are essential as any relationship requires equal efforts from both elements but your wife/husband must be a VERY understanding and very patient person. They must go into it knowing that they are every bit as much a part of it as you are, and be as fully aware of what it entails. That is when I saw marriages fail, when there wasn't understanding, agreement, or ability to deal with and adjust to the way of life. I am good friends with a doctor I have known for 3 years now that went through medical school and his residency with 3 children. They are a great family and have a very stable relationship. I have talked to him a lot about his experience and he said it was very hard, but as in my case with continued combat deployments, he attributed most of it to his wife and her understanding and support.
Some make it, some don't, same as any marriage. I believe it is entirely up to the husband and wife, no matter the circumstances.
Sheesh, that's enough writing from me for another year!