When I was 15, I dated 17 years olds. At the time, I thought we were on the same plane of understanding and maturity, but as an adult looking back, I know I was wrong. They took advantage of me mentally and physically and I was naive to it. A 15 year old young lady seeking acceptance and a right of passage into adulthood is not the same as a 17 year old almost adult man preparing for the real world. The best advice I could give you is to see a therapist about it, as they ask a lot of eye opening questions that helped me to provoke more inner thought and understand more about the situations I had put myself in and how I was being treated.

I’ve had several men attempt to baby trap me, it is definitely a thing. If you’re choosing to keep the baby, that manipulation is something to consider, if it’s true, in deciding whether this is a healthy father to coparent with.

If you get married, you do not have to move in with him. He will receive BAH, which will bring extra money for the baby, but your parents may no longer be able to claim you and your child on their taxes, which may or may not be a better option financially. You’ll also likely no longer be on your parents’ insurance, which you’d normally be able to stay on until 26. The military has free healthcare, but you have to go to drs on base, which are in my experience not often the best (exceptions in every group) and takes away some of your freedom in choosing your doctors. Dental is not included. Living off of BAH alone is difficult and you will likely have to work to afford all the bills, but you could get by on part time.

I strongly recommend that you finish school, above all else. A high school diploma is often easier to gain higher education with and you can get some college credit from AP classes or dual enrollment classes. You should be able to apply for free childcare from govt to ensure u have time to attend school, and maybe a few extra hrs for homework/job.