Army of Two?

I agree, she will love anything you give her, because As I said earlier, it is more about the commitment than the ring...
I also commend you on your bravery and thank you for your efforts.

An engagement ring really can be anything (my sister has a sapphire, my cousin has a plain gold band) but the common choice is a diamond solitare (of any size). Example: Diamond Solitaires
A wedding ring can be a solid band, or anything else (lots of people have solid gold bands, Eternity bands, or Diamond wrap style rings) Those should be picked out together.

For picking a ring, go with what she'd like. IF she's the type of girl who would want to pick, take her. If she'd rather be surprised, pick one out for her... Chances are, that if she's that way, she's sentimetal anyway. (My husband picked my engagement ring... Thank goodness he surprised me... I wouldn't have wanted the pressure and I'm the type to love it cause he bought it )

As said, go to the jewelry store with a budget in mind. They will be more than happy to help you shop in that price range. Then later and closer to the wedding, you can go together and pick out bands you each like that compliment her engagement ring. (They don't have to match, I have white gold, hubby has black titanium)

Ideas to propose::
Take her to a favorite spot.
Parks, a beach, place to eat, to get an icecream cone, drive-in movie.... Etc.
Set up a picnic blanket, buy a bottle of wine
Get a hotel room for the night
Wait for a birthday or holiday (mine was under the christmas tree)
One idea I heard was to get a Build A Bear (or any stuffed animal) and tie it around its neck. Later, that bear could be carried by the ring bearer or flower girl and your gal will have a momento.

You don't have to do anything fancy, just make it memorable by showing her you thought about her when you planned it.

As for the wedding, she'll start planning it - there are plenty of resources out there.

GOOD LUCK!

Show her the ring and ask... When she says yes she may grab it and put it on, she may stick her hand out and wait for you to do it.

Don't worry about this part, it goes so fast its too hard to predict.
(Expect either tears of joy or screaming excitement)

She will wear the ring until the wedding, then during the wedding ceremony, you'll place the wedding band on her finger, next to the engagement ring.

Also, if budget is an issue, silly as it sounds, I got my ring from the walmart jeweler LOL! It is beautiful 1 carat and we later found a diamond wedding band to match. It isn't as great of a quality as you would find at a big jeweler, but it is real and comes with a certificate of autehenticity from the gem people. I have never run across anyone who can tell the difference. We spent around 500 on the solitaire and 199 on the band. My husband got a plain gold band for around 70 dollars...when we are better off, we may upgrade, but I love my rings.

If not for right now just get a promise ring and when you get back do the whole engagement thing. You already have enough on your mind stressing about Iraq.

As everyone has said - any kind of ring will do. Just think of her and her style when you chose something. I like big jewlery - across the board, my sister likes understated stuff. So, if you were shopping for us - you would be looking at two totally different things. So, just have her in mind when you shop.
Diamond prices range from a couple hundred dollars and up. If you really want to get her something big and expensive - but can't afford it right now - then most stores offer a layaway plan (my husband did this). If you still want to get her something while you are paying for the engagement ring - the idea of a promise ring is a good one.
Just remember, you don't have to break the bank. The size of the diamond doesn't measure your love.

The proposal - again, keep her in mind. Or your relationship in mind. If there is a favorite spot - do it there. If it's your meeting place or first date place - those are options.

As for the rest - don't worry about it. It will fall into place. Every little girl dreams of her wedding day - she will walk you through the rest.

Good Luck and keep us posted.

You have a good point. But I think I'd want something a little more Official, makes it more deffinant...

Thank you all very much for your advice and help. I now have a better idea of what I need to get done.
ALTHOUGH... As for When to get married? Are there any like old tales and superstitions or ANYTHING interesting about what time of the year or month to get married? I heard some people really care about When the anniversaries will be...

Choosing a wedding date is something the two of you can do together. I have a feb. Anniversary.
The rule of thumb is to give yourself at least 6 months to plan a wedding. It takes almost that long to get a dress if it is ordered. A lot of people do summer weddings because there are more options.
But again, it is really up to you. With weddings - it is all about the bride and groom. A celebration of your love - so almost anything goes!

Lets see, I'll be able to go home in November. Then I deploy in December, then I'm in Iraq for 15 months. That seems like a long time really... But she might not want to Totally tie the knot until College is under control... But I'm a little afraid of her getting lonely over the 15 months, I might be able to have the Internet and use a web camera to convey my love... But do you have any suggestions on how I can keep her happy from so far away? Or advice I can give her about staying with me while I'm so far away?

1st off, getting married will not make you any closer - distance wise. Yes, there is a commitment there but, that isn't always honored, sadly.

The best thing I can tell is to communicate with her. If it is letters, calls (if even possible), emails. Whatever. Let her know that you are thinking of her.
You can send her e-cards. Hallmark has free ecards and you can set it up to send them on certain dates. Now, I don't know if they would do them for 15 months - but when I went on vacation - I had it set up to send him an e-card for everyday that I was gone.

You could send her taped messages - voice or audio. It would mean so much to her to hear your voice.

You just have to be creative.