Looking for answers....[Questions About Benefits While Engaged And On Tour]

[DirtyDog]

Regret is a horrible thing, but taking care of your current love interest prior to a deployment is not a good reason to get married.  You should be getting married because you're ready to get married and have a family, not just for a few benefits in case you die.  See related threads from numerous soldiers who did the same and ended up divorced afterwards because their new spouse couldn't handle a six-month+ separation. 

I would also caution that you shouldn't look at your HLTA as a 'vacation' or a perfect time for a loving honeymoon, especially if youve been working on a deployment where youre under a lot of pressure or undegone some stressful events...

Yes, it sounds pretty negative, but these are life lessons from many who have deployed before you...

I appreciate your concerns (and have seen it go down more then a few times)... but I'm quite confident.

I do see your point about HLTA.  I can be hard enough to get along with after a sh1ttyy weeek in garrison.  But I still intend to take advantage of the time to travel.  As of now anyway...

We have decided we will likely do a city hall marriage and have the big wedding post deployment.  Not a perefect solution by any means and she's not thrilled with the idea, but it's the best solution in my mind.  But then, this isn't about me.....

 

[PMedMoe]

Further clarification to the NOK from the DCBA Aide Memoire (emphasis mine):

NOK in order of succession is as follows. The member’s:
a. spouse or dependant; or
b. parent or child.
Note: If there are no next of kin as listed above, the member may name a NOK to be authorized by the Commanding Officer.