How do I manage Family and Work?

There was a SGT I knew that said "If Uncle Same wanted me to marry he would have issued me a wife." Well yeah go figure he is married now. It is really hard to balance any competing priorities, but you can always make it work if you have the will and desire. Ensure that your wife knows what you want in the military and you know what she wants from you and her life. There should be a balance so you can have a good life and fulfill your commitments to both parties.

You have to make the decision to stay together. Too easy to just quit when things get tough, and they will.
Treat her like a princess, she is one, just ask her father.
Always remember-if momma aint happy, aint nobody happy.
Don't cheat-it is easy, but will forever devalue a relationship.
Be honest with her, and talk of your hopes/dreams and foster hers.

The fact that you are asking, in a forum like this speaks volumes. A successful marriage takes work. It is worth it.

The main thing to remember is to talk to each other. Be open with your spouse when you have things going on at work. Let them know when something is going on at work that you can't talk about. Also let them know when you are struggling. They are in the perfect position to help you through your issues. Communication is the best way to go, but above all, be honest with them when you can't talk about something or when something is going on.

I may catch some down votes for this, but my advice is not to get married. You have less than a year in and haven't been to the fleet so you don't have a good frame of reference yet for what Navy life is like. Your first ship/sub will be a HUGE adjustment for you and piling that stress on a new marriage, especially for a very young couple, is almost guaranteed to be too much.

My advice to every new SM thinking about marriage is to wait until the end of your first enlistment and do not have any kids. After that initial four years you will be in a better position to judge the rigors of military life, make a decision on whether to get out or reenlist, and if she is marriage material then she will still be by your side. If it doesn't work out it is better to break up with a girlfriend than divorce a wife.

I do not know a single "A" school couple from my classes that are still married, it seemed like most barely made it to a year or two. The odds weren't much better on my friends who married later either but with a few years under your belt you are in a better position to judge whether or not you want to roll those dice. I am glad I didn't.

Congrats to the both of you!!

It helps to set priorities for "free" time, COMMUNICATE constantly, and never forget to plan a date night every other week or as often as you can to leave the world behind and catch up with each other. 20 years and 3 kids later, it still works for us.

Two words: YES and DEAR. Together. Never forget. TRUST ME!

At my stage in life, I do NOTHING and I don't start that till after noon.