This is some really good insight. This is more of a preference than a need. I'm in the military and my wife has endured year long deployments and her Father has flown for Delta/Northwest for the last 30 years, so she understands the lifestyle. I just wanted to know if it was possible to not be gone "a lot", I understand that I will be gone.

That said, are there certain airlines that are better than others for minimizing time away? Or is it all about getting a junior base? Or any other recommendations? Thanks for all the info!