[alelks]

Let's see. During my first few years in Group. I missed holidays, births, anniversaries, etc. etc. etc.

I came back from one deployment and Harley C Davis walked up to me as I got off the aircraft, handed me a box of cigars and congratulated me on the birth of my daughter who was born 2 days earlier.

By the time my kids were 6 and 4, I had only seen one or two birthdays and one or two Christmas's due to deployments and schools.

Make darn sure your significant other has a good support base she can rely on when you are gone and that she FULLY realizes how much time you will spend away from her and your family. If she has any hesitations you have three options.

1. Go SF and hopefully your marriage can survive.
2. Don't get married and go SF.
3. Don't go SF.

Good Luck!