LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
Editor's Note: During the month of February, we will be honoring dual-military couples who work around the hurdles to make their marriage work. This is the first article in the series.
Romance, love and relationships can take a lot of effort, especially for dual-military couples who face the unique challenges of serving their country.
Tech. Sgt. Greg Styer, 633d Communications Squadron network integration noncommissioned officer in charge, and Staff Sgt. Christina Styer, 633d Air Base Wing Public Affairs customer service NCOIC, face these hurtles together by balancing their marriage commitment and their dedication to the Air Force.
"Being in a dual-military marriage can be difficult, but with effort from both people it's definitely possible," said Christina with a smile. "Greg and I overcome any problems by talking about them and making decisions together."
The couple met at a coworker's going-away party while stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., in June 2007.
"I noticed Christina before, but never made an attempt to get to know her," Greg confessed. "But, we ended up talking on and off throughout the night. Her friend gave me her phone number, so I sent her a message, and we talked on the phone. The rest is history."
Both agree the biggest hurdle they have faced was their 13-month separation that began a few weeks after they married Dec. 21, 2007. Christina deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in January 2008, and her husband left a month later for a one-year tour to South Korea.
"We joined the Air Force to serve our country and are fully aware deployments and orders can come up at any time. Instead of panicking and being upset, Greg and I talked about it," Christina said. "Both of us have been married before, so we used our past experiences and insight to guide us."
"Greg and I promised that while we were separated, to never put ourselves in situations that could make the other person feel uncomfortable, insecure or wonder about our intentions," she continued.
During their separation they called, text messaged and e-mailed each other. They reunited during Greg's mid-tour break and visited San Francisco for their honeymoon.
The time difference made it difficult for them to keep in touch. After Christina returned to Vandenberg, she woke up every day at 5 a.m. for her husband's phone call, who in turn, called her as he was getting ready for bed. During his lunch break, Greg hurried back to his room to call her, even if it was only for 10 minutes. They admit the calls became expensive, but were well worth it.
"When I returned, it was tough adjusting to living with someone after being apart for so long," Greg said. "Both people are set in the way they do things, but I'd say patience and understanding made it fairly easy to cope."
The second challenge the couple encountered is when one of them brought work home. They both acknowledged they are guilty of it, but also said it was nice having a loved one there to support and understand them.
Christina grinned as she said, "We are both NCOICs and have Airmen we take care of, so Greg gives me advice and is often a mentor to me with my Air Force career."
Her husband added, "We both have our venting session when we come through the door that I think is healthy and gets the other's perspective. I like the fact that we both know where the other is coming from on military issues. I've learned a lot from my wife and her opinions."
The Styers attribute patience, understanding, communication and compromise as the keys to their happy and successful marriage.
"We keep things fresh and new," Christina said. "We make sure to have a date night each week. A successful relationship is not only about effort and compromise, but falling in love with your partner over and over again."