And, if the GF is prone to mental disorders or other issues, living a few states away will help bring that to the surface...
DO NOT GET MARRIED UNTIL AFTER YOUR 1st CRUISE.
Trust me on this one.. It was the best advice that I ignored..
Realistically speaking, how long is it from the day one commissions until they join their first fleet squadron. (I know it will vary with platform)
In my husbands case, from the day he commissioned until he returned from his first 6mo cruise was over seven years. He did a two year SEREGRAD tour, but even if you subtract for that, you are still looking at 5 years.