[Jaidgirl13]

I'm 18 years old and my boyfriend of a year is going to college for football in August. I'm going into the Air Force I want to be near him but the military won't make accommodations for non married couples. So we were thinking we should get married... thoughts?

[ScottGem]

How long have you been dating?

Frankly, I think you are both too young to takes this step.

[Alty]

Getting married just so you can live together, is a bad idea.

You're starting your career, he's in college studying for a career. Why get married now?

I think it's a huge mistake at your age and where you are in your lives. If you really love each other you can both deal with dating while you're working on your careers.

[Wondergirl]

And if you are a distance apart, nowadays there's the cell phone and texting and the Internet with instant chat and email plus Skype and social media to use to stay in touch. When I was your age (yeah, I know what you're thinking), phones were attached to the wall, long distance calls were very expensive, none of that electronic stuff existed, and we wrote snail mail back and forth to each other, with letters taking a week to arrive. And romances, if they were meant to be, actually survived. So go your separate ways for now, but stay in touch. And both of you be open to dating others.

[Alty]

I totally agree WG. Back in my day long distance relationships worked, but it was hard work. It was long distance phone calls that cost an arm and a leg, or letters, snail mail letters, back and forth.

Nowadays it's so much easier. Skype allows you to see each other and actually talk to each other as much as you want, for free! There's email, Facebook chat, and more. We didn't have that back in the day, and we still made it work. Today it's even easier.

I don't know about dating others. If you're serious enough to consider marriage, than dating others would probably not be a good idea to suggest. But at 18, I do think that's what you should be doing. You're too young to make a life long commitment, and making it while you're both figuring out what you're going to do with your lives, is a big mistake.

You're choosing two very different career paths. Marrying each other will only put a strain on that. Go explore what life has to offer before you settle down. If you're meant to be, you'll still be in 6 or more years. Getting married doesn't mean you'll be together forever, and that your situation will be easier. In fact, it will only make things harder.

[talaniman]

What does he say about this marriage thing? Why get married when you can stay in touch with each other easily, and regularly, and see how things workout? Give that marriage thing another year, and see how your career choices workout. No need to rush into a life changing decision at this point, as MUCH can change for you both, so allow each other the space to focus on your career choices for now.

If your relationship is solid it will grow despite being apart. Even after a year already, this high school romance/love has yet to be tested in the real world after proms, dates, and hanging out. At least talk about the pros and cons and even consult your parents for a bit of advice.

I am sure older more experienced adults would think that 18 year old seniors in high school getting married is NOT a good idea after a year of dating.

[J_9]

He is going to college in August, so he must have been accepted to a school. You are going into the Air Force, right?

Your thinking is flawed. When you are married, your basic training will not be assigned because of your location, or his location. It will be assigned according to your MOS. Not all camps do the same training. After basic you may be transferred to another base for your AIT. After AIT you could be transferred to yet another base, or even deployed.

If he is going to school for football he most likely has a scholarship. That scholarship is not going to transfer for him to follow you from base to base if you are married. Likewise, the military isn't going to assign you to a base close to him simply because you are married. Many military families are required to live long distance relationships.

Marriage isn't the solution here, it will only complicate things.