Marrying a Marine means gaining access to significant military benefits like TRICARE health care, commissaries, and housing allowances, but also involves frequent separations, frequent moves, and unique family challenges, requiring strong communication, flexibility, and use of Marine Corps support systems like Military OneSource for finances, career, and mental health. Immediate steps include enrolling in DEERS for ID and benefits, updating financial info for housing pay, and understanding the lifestyle of deployments, PCS moves, and strong community support.
Marrying a Marine tends to offer financial security, comprehensive benefits, strong community support, and personal qualities--discipline, resilience, leadership--that many partners find stabilizing and enriching.
The 2-2-2 rule for marriage is a guideline to keep a relationship strong and connected: have a date night every two weeks, a weekend getaway every two months, and a week-long vacation every two years. This system encourages regular, intentional quality time, breaks from routine, and deeper connection by ensuring couples prioritize each other amidst daily life, work, and family, preventing stagnation and fostering fun.
Your first stop after the wedding should be the nearest military ID card issuing facility to enroll in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, or DEERS. Once enrolled, you can access military benefits, including health care and health insurance. Other benefits include: Access to commissaries and exchanges.
Generally, it follows the “rule of three,” meaning there are three lower units within each of the next larger units. Teams consist of three Marines with a corporal as team leader. A squad consists of nine Marines with a sergeant as the squad lead. Platoons consist of 27 Marines with a lieutenant in command.
Marines may not act as a posse comitatus, or function as law enforcement. They're barred from conducting surveillance and, in general, crowd control, as well as officially arresting people, and may otherwise only support police in narrowly defined ways, according to Defense Department rules.
After 20 years of active-duty service in the Marine Corps, Marines earn retirement benefits and a pension, which enables retirement at an earlier age than what is offered through most civilian opportunities.
Health and Child Care Benefits
In addition to base pay, military spouses receive something similar to shared healthcare insurance. As a civilian or military spouse, you will have access to Tricare, which is the military's healthcare service.
Dating in the military is not a walk in the park. It's common for a military member to move once at least every two years because of deployment orders. Even if an enlisted member has just started their journey of military service, they must devote much of their time to rigorous training schedules.
Thanks to this study, we know why military couples marry younger on average than civilian couples. A part of it is due to the increase in pay, sure. More of that why is explained by the fact that the military community does a lot of things to support marriage that civilian employers just don't do.
The 777 rule for marriage is a relationship guideline to keep couples connected by scheduling specific, regular quality time: a date night every 7 days, a night away (getaway) every 7 weeks, and a romantic holiday every 7 months, often without kids, to foster intimacy, reduce stress, and prevent routine from overtaking the relationship. It's about consistent, intentional efforts to prioritize the partnership.
While many factors contribute, many experts point to poor communication (especially criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling) and a breakdown in emotional connection/trust, often stemming from dishonesty or disrespect, as the #1 things that destroy marriages, eroding intimacy and making partners feel unheard and unloved over time. Infidelity, financial stress, and shifting priorities (like putting family/in-laws above spouse) are also major contributors that feed these core issues.
The 2-2-2 rule is a relationship strategy designed to help couples maintain closeness by creating regular moments of connection. The concept is simple: every two weeks, go on a date; every two months, plan a weekend getaway; and every two years, go on a longer trip together.
Just like with any other group of people, there are both faithful and unfaithful individuals among military guys. It's unfair to generalize an entire group based on the actions of a few. However, military life can be stressful and challenging, which can sometimes put a strain on relationships.
The Marine Corps Will Impact Your Life, Too
PCS moves, deployment schedules, duty nights, and even simple things like holidays and birthdays may look different. This can be overwhelming—but it can also make you more flexible, resilient, and creative than you ever imagined.
TO EACH OTHER, TO OUR COUNTRY, AND TO THE BATTLES AHEAD.
Latin for “Always Faithful,” Semper Fidelis is the motto of every Marine—an eternal and collective commitment to the success of our battles, the progress of our Nation, and the steadfast loyalty to the fellow Marines we fight alongside.
But it does provide some rough guidelines as to how soon may be too soon to make long-term commitments and how long may be too long to stick with a relationship. Each of the three numbers—three, six, and nine—stands for the month that a different common stage of a relationship tends to end.
By law, a Soldier with over eight years of active Federal Service is eligible for disability compensation even if the condition is Exist Prior to Service (“EPTS”). The eight years of active service do not have to be continuous; however, you must be on active-duty orders of more than 30 days for this rule to apply.
Lawyer: The 10/10 rule means at least 10 years of marriage during at least 10 years of military service creditable toward retirement eligibility. [2] You have to qualify for 10/10 rule compliance in order for the monthly payments to Julietta to come from the government, and not from you writing a monthly check to her.
Military Pay and Allowances
While there is no specific military spouse pay, married service members receive Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) and Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) in addition to their base pay. The military also offers support for spouses seeking employment or pursuing higher education.
Major Life Challenges for Military Spouses
Here are the current monthly salaries for each rank: Private (E-1) basic enlisted Marine salary: $2,017.20. Private First Class (E-2) basic enlisted Marine salary: $2,261.10 - $2,282.10. Lance Corporal (E-3) basic enlisted Marine salary: $2,377.50 - $2,680.20.
With careful planning, $750,000 can last 25 to 30 years or more in retirement. Your actual results will depend on how much you spend, how your investments perform, and whether you have other income.
Among those fighting at Khe Sanh was the 1st Battalion 9th Marines, also referred to as “The Walking Dead” battalion due to having the highest casualty rate in Marine Corps history. Of the nearly 3,000 Marines who served with the 1/9 in Vietnam, over 25% would be Killed in Action.