Have you met your SO before/after/during basic training? Army? Navy? Marines? Air-force?

I’m dating a man who feels like the man my heart has been seeking before I knew this kind of man, existed.... he speaks with eloquence and intelligence and we could talk for hours on end at night if obligations of work and waking up early didn’t prohibit cutting conversations short. He respects his parents and mine, he’s actively seeking to learn and practice (little by little) the language my mother uses. He puts his family as a priority for him. He’s willing to take my pace and support me with where I am in readiness to date versus leaping into a relationship. He encourages me to stay career focused and roots for me in my goals.... ladies, it truly feels like a dream that such a man exists.... I am so grateful for him, and yet sometimes I have trouble vocalizing aloud the expression of my appreciation for him and his mind and humor and readiness to give me his care and his [like] (it’s my first serious potential relationship to be after my last serious relationship of five years). When did you ease or lax into your relationship?

His deployment set for 2020 got cut from 9 months to 2 months.....

....I guess my question is how did you ladies get into it? LD that was temporary... or the longest your SO had been deployed.... or what’s the greatest challenge you’ve faced in a Military/civilian relationship? can you tell me about it? Or can we all talk about this?