As an infantryman, how long and often can I expect to be in the field? Is it dependent on the unit I'm with, or same across the board?

It all depends on the unit. You can expect FTX's at least once a month. Then you come back refit and clean equipment. Then the next month do it again. FTX's can last a few days to 3 weeks or more. If you are ramping up to head to a training center then expect long days and hard work. At least a month at those training centers. She will have to adapt to this and accept the fact you will be training. Most command teams will allow Soldiers to come home to refit during those long training periods.

Pack your A Bag and B Bag and plan to spend some quality time snuggled up on a rock because infantry training is most realistic in the field where stress can be enduced as a norm. Personally, I recall spending entire weeks in training and coming back for a Sunday reset just to do it all over again Monday morning after PT. If it isn’t the field, it’s the range or a gunnery or mob village somewhere and either way, it’s the job.

If the wife is asking - hmmm - may want to inquire more on there. Young couple - sure, what to do with her time alone in a new area but I’m sure you’ve heard all the horror stories. But I’m sure you’re wise enough to know they’re ‘based on real events’.

When they say it "depends on your unit" Airborne Corps units deploy more often than other units as well as front line units like Korea do and say specialized mission Infantry units deploy a lot. In peacetime it was roughly 5-6 months in the field sometimes a little more, minimum about half a year. Sometimes they group it together and sometimes they spread it out over a Calendar. Yes it will be hard on the wife for you to be gone that much and she needs to be able to run things in your absence. Marital issues are a problem in the Infantry MOS because of seperation. Special Forces has it a lot harder though in the seperation and marital issues department.

Depends on unit if your light or heavy

It depends upon the unit, the readiness code of the unit and the place of the unit on the deployment schedule.
IF your unit goes out for evaluation, (They used to be called ARTEP: ARmy Training Evaluation Program, the they were EX Evals: EXternal Evaluations) and your unit fails or does poorly, or fails or does poorly at JRTC or NTC then the unit will be put in an "Intensified Training Cycle" to bring it up to standard. This may seem like a royal pain in the 4th point of contact, but you have to ask yourself one question..."Would you want to go to COMBAT with your unit exactly as it is right now?" If the answer is NO then you will WANT to go to the Field, because training makes you better. As General Patton said "A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood!"

Most everybody hit it right, especially Sgt. Sesar - you should work on building relationships with your squad, pltoon, company, these things remember are built on trust! Unforntunately there tends to be a lot of sliders, sometimes real shit bags in infantry units, be careful.. I will say as far as time in the field, I had a CO in a Bradley unit I was 11M30 over from 11B in Friedberg Germany, the CO was a Cpt. and his brother was a mech cav CO same rank, brother was stationed not 30 km from Friedberg. The two found we found out later were in a competition as to who would make Major first, this friendly thing between two brothers caused us to have over 270+ days over all in the field, and they couldn't care less what it did to us or those that had family. Now understand that both brothers had some time in Ranger Bats, and both had a few, at least 6 yrs in SF, so either the competition would have brought all that time or just their way of seeing things as Infantry leaders. I'll say one thing more, in this modern Army, it would do you great justice to try and go to Airborne, ranger schools as a minimum and if possible SF, in these catagories you will not only make a smoother way for you as a grunt, but you will also make it easier for promotions. Don't forget college, if nothing else get a degree if you don't already have one - PLEASE!!!

As an Infantryman its your job to learn your craft and that is through being in the field. I was in the infantry for 23.5 years and I spent about 14 years deployed to where ever the army sent me.

Plan on if you're Infantry, not giving two Foxtrots where you are, when you are, but just being.

If you're active duty, be it. If you're Guard, be it. If you're Infantry, no matter if you're AD or Guard, roll with it.

You asked.
The answer: If you're AD, it is what it is is. If you're Guard, pause/suspend "normal life" and operate within an AD context.

Enjoy the fresh air "in the field", enjoy the rain, snow, sunshine or sunburn, and do what you're supposed to. Else, change MOS because 11x is not for you.

Depended on the unit. However, generally all unit has the same phases that they have to go through. There are weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, and yearly-- that's a preparation for deployment and deployment. With that there are team and squad integration training, squad qualification, platoon qualification and exercise, company maneuvering exercise, and Brigade exercise at National Training Center, Fort Irwin, CA or Joint Readiness Training Center, Ft. Polk, LA. Then, last but not least preparation for deployment and deployment and everything rinse and repeat as necessary (and it is necessary). So, all this expecting to be around 5-year cycle. However, single Soldier expecting to permanently change of duty station (PCS) to go to different Fort including overseeing station like Germany, Korea. I don't know if there are any tour of duty for Kuwait as an infantryman, at least not as E4 or below. Thou, I could be wrong about this. There are always some lucky few. So, that is how it has been. Thou, it has been awhile since I retired. But knowing the Army, it's always same different. It's like a football or any athletic unit there are individual training, section training, team rehearse, and it's show time; then do it all over again.

Whooaaa!

Your going to find out really quick just how strong your marriage really is. When I first met my wife in 1999 she was only 19 and I was skeptical. I was a young E-5 and had no idea just how long I was going to stay in. We’ve been together over 20 years now and still going strong. She bought into the way of life as she really saw just how well the military would take care of not just me but her, and my children.
I will say that if she or you get to the point where you are unhappy, try changing units. I did, went SF and it was the best decision I ever made for both my family and I. I was gone a lot but when I was home, I was home.