Divorce occurs in both the military and the civilian life. I would not say either has a higher chance of it ending if married at a young age.
Bullet and I married when I was 23, he was 24. We are still married 25 years later, and so are our closest friends {AF) that got married young too.
~~~ Yes, times are changing, but what stays the same is if someone chooses the right person no matter how young they are not doomed to be a train wreck.
my view might be skewed, after all Bullet's siblings that got married closer to 30, non-military didn't make 20 years. It might be our DS at the ripe old age of 24, she is 22, are getting married next month, and we 1,000,000 percent support the marriage because during this past year while he was at UPT and had bad days, it was his fiance that picked him up via Skype (she is in NC, he is in TX). He talked to her, not us. That Bible story of Adam's rib is true for them. They are best friends, and cleave to each other, not the folks. He chose the woman that is the best thing for him and understands that this is a unique life. There is no illusion in her eyes about how his job being 24/7/365, plus moving every few years and her restarting her career.
~~~ To me it isn't age, it is the mate chosen that makes it a train wreck. None of us know their relationship. Honestly, I too would be affronted because I think some of the posters were judgemental.
Plus, the OP didn't ask should he propose, he asked about how the pay system works, which shows great maturity to me by being fiscally responsible and planning their finances before they enter and not when they are in.
OP,
Here are a couple of things to think about that you might not have thought about yet.
1. Moving
~~~ Are you from the same hometown? Our DSs fiance is from another state, they are still getting varying opinions from TMO whether they have to do a DITY or they will consider it a move from his home of record. (She would bring it to us and AF would collect it from our home). He would then DITY from Del Rio TX to Abilene, and because they are below the weight limit they would get paid for both.
2. Housing for your first assignment.
~~~ You are allowed, at least in the AF to sign up for on base housing prior to arrival
3. Pay
~~~ Expect that your pay will vary in the beginning,
~~~~~ PCS pay, TDY pay, TLA, DLA, and on top of it adding her as a dependent. I think for DS it was about 3 pay periods that varied (1st, 15th, 1st) due to HIhis report date, PCS, per diem, etc., and that didn't include adding on a dependent .
4. Getting her military ID card so she has medical coverage if needed. If she has a job, than you can wait until you two are together,
~~~~ Our future DIL will not be moving for @ 8 weeks after they are married while he is on TDY for water and land survival (pilot). She has health insurance with her company, thus it is not a biggie to get her ID card as soon as they marry.
Best wishes and congratulations not only on commissioning and defending this great nation, but your impending nuptials.
Finally, I am chuckling at the train wreck comment.
~~~ if it is such a big train wreck, why is it that the chapels at every SA are booked solid every 30 minutes during graduation week? There will be a ton of train wrecks just out of the SAs.
One of our friends as a C2C (AFA) booked his wedding before he even proposed to his wife. We asked him: What if she said NO? He said he'd ask somebody else. They will celebrate their 28th anniversary this May.