What would you do?

For me your happiness is only still now in this system when time of Armageddon it is hard to deal your happiness because Jehovah God punished the one who violet his law.

It's a tough position to be in Robert. I'm a marine corps brat. My father was a lifer and we moved around a lot. There were also long spans of time that he wasn't there with us. He did 3 tours in Vietnam that was pretty difficult for us. My brother is currently in the corps too. He did 2 tours in Desert Storm. 3 for Iraqi Freedom. He's got a son that's just 3 and missed out on a lot of his early days. It's really tough. Here's what you really need to think about (in my very humble opinion), do you think you'd be able to get a job that pays enough and has enough benefits that it would actually be beneficial to your family? Let's face it.....the national level of unemployment in the US is hovering around 11%. Finding a decent job is not going to be easy. On the other hand, there's your family to consider. Have you talked about it with them? If you're seriously thinking about getting out of the service, you need a game plan and support of your family. It won't be easy. It's easier and, obviously, more stable to stay in. Base privileges, health care, dental, etc. Have you thought about an Army career? I don't know your rank or anything so it's really hard to say much. If you're an enlisted man, it takes longer to achieve any kind of rank. Although, being in combat certainly speeds up the process. Bottom line to me is you just won't find the job stability in the private sector that you get in the military. Just depends if you and your family are willing to put up with the separations. You need to talk it out. Weigh the pros and cons. Take everything into consideration. You might even consider talking to a base chaplin or one of your superior officers about it. The more input you get, the easier it might be to make a good decision. If you decide to stay in, discuss with your wife possible ways you can come up with to give you the things that you're missing. Videos or DVDs for communication. More letters. Whatever it may be. Seriously though, it's a tough decision and I wouldn't want to be in your shoes. Personally, I'd be staying in, if I was in. Simply for the stability of it and the benefits. Just my 2 cents. Hope you and your family can figure it out. Semper fi!

I realize this topic was posted months ago, but I feel strongly enough to hope you'll see this response. Your wife and kids support you because they love you. But they need you at home. Kids need the presence of their father. The benefits won't matter if they don't KNOW you. Childhood is precious, be a part of your children's memories of their childhood. I'm a mother who had to raise my five kids on my own. I see what the absence of a father did to them. Hope you are well and I hope I haven't overstepped my bounds here. God Bless.