Just one piece of advice, make sure your husband makes these decisions based on what he feels will work best for him while communicating with you. If he makes these decisions just to make you happy then there will be major issues down the road. This is not all a surprise, you married a person with an obligation to the military. That decision comes with some sacrifice on both your parts, just keep that in mind.
That cannot be stressed enough. Bullet served 21 yrs ADAF. For all of those years I use to say that I was his mistress and the AF was his wife. If the AF said move, we moved. If they said deploy to the sandbox, than he deployed. It did not matter whether or not he was not there for the kids 1st birthday, their 1st Holy Communion, your 10th wedding anniversary, if a hurricane is barreling down where you live, etc. etc. etc.
~My son and DIL are expecting their 1st child. How did he find out he was going to be a Dad? Skype. 1 week after he left for a 5 month deployment she found out that she was pregnant. He came home last week, and will be sent to a training school for career progression (tactical pilot training) in 3 weeks for 3 weeks. All in all, it will total to be 6 months of her 9 months pregnant that he will be gone. They already have on the books at his squadron to deploy again in Jan. 6 months home, and he will turn around again for another 5 month deployment. That is the obligation of a military member and the sacrifices the family will pay for loving them.
~ The running joke/cliche ...if they wanted you to have a family they would have issued you one....exists for a reason
~~ Nobody flame me. I loved every tour we did, all 11 moves over 21 years, but the reality was I knew that my kids and myself would always bow to the needs of the AF.
I am going to be interested to see what Army posters say about how often MPs are deployed.
~ AF bases are 100% ID check. Their bases are not like Bragg or Ft. Rich or even Belvoir where you can drive through the base without passing a gate. 99% of all AF bases are what is called "closed". That means you cannot get on without going through a manned/armed gate where they will make sure you have a military ID to get on base or at least be cleared through the visitor center and given a pass.
~~ 15 years ago these gates were manned by enlisted airmen. Now they are guarded by contracted civilians. Why? Because they deploy so much to the sandbox (Iraq/Kuwait/Afghanistan, etc) that they don't have enough to keep guarding base gates.
I get you are new to this, and I will say Jcleppe gave invaluable advice regarding how to approach your future. Also understand that certain career fields will have a lot of training that will be considered a TDY. TDY is when they are gone for less than 6 months, at least for the AF. Anything over 6 months is considered a PCS (move) where families may come with them.
~ I.E. My DS got married Memorial Day weekend in 2014. They went on their honeymoon for a week, but the kicker was when they arrived at the airport to fly back, he got on one plane and she got on another one. Why? Because the AF said you have to go to water survival for the next 3 weeks. Upon completing that he had to go to Land Survival for another 3 weeks . She went home as a newlywed and lived with her folks for almost 2 months until he PCSd. By their 9th month anniversary they had spent 2 months apart, lived together as a married couple in 2 different states (LA and TX). That can be your life in the AD world.
As a spouse of an AF officer, and now a Mom of an AF officer that gives rides to the Army (pilot), this world is amazing. I miss it everyday still. However, I think for me, I just accepted the fact that I was along for the ride. I supported all of his decisions regarding his career choices, because I understood that if he hated what he was doing, life at home was not going to be fun.
~ No flaming again. I did have a voice in the decision making process, but it really came down to what was best for his career progression that always won. I am a Jersey girl, trust me, Mt. Home, Idaho, hub of Elmore County, pop. 8K people, or as my family and friends called it....B F Egypt, was not somewhere I ever thought I would reside, but we did....and I loved every second of it! Nor did I think I would live in Oh My God No Alamorgordo, but there I was. Without those tours I would not have seen a beautiful city like Boise, the Snake River, Las Cruces, Carlsbad Caverns. etc. etc. etc.
My point is no matter where he goes, what he does, deployments are part of his life, and you can't walk in thinking one career field will be deployed less than another. Because honestly another cliche is true in that situation. People plan....God laughs!
What you can do as a spouse is embrace the life. Have your own life too. That means wherever you land if you can't find a job, volunteer with the FRG (Family Resources Group), go to the spouses coffees, explore the area. IOWS be independent! If you don't and he deploys it can become incredibly lonely, which in turn will create stress within your marriage. Not only is that true from a deployment aspect, but as a spouse your non-military friends and family may have trouble relating to your life.
~ What do you mean they are going to deploy him? Don't they know you are pregnant? Why can't they send someone in his stead?
~ What do you mean you can't come home for Thanksgiving or Cousin Anne's wedding because they won't allow him leave?
~ Wait, what again are you talking about when you say they are going to send him TDY prior to PCSing and they will only guarantee 10 days in the Qs because we are staying CONUS and now we have to find a home that covers our BAH rates because we know we can't get on base housing.
~ Are you serious, they are going to make you move to Ft. Bliss? Can't he say NO?
You may think I am joking, but I am not. My friends, my DIL and myself have all lived through those questions/statements. It can become hard to live this life if you do not embrace it with those that are in the same boat.
It is really an amazing life that as a spouse you will look back on with smiles if you just go with the flow. Thank you for supporting him and joining the military family. Good luck.