Only you know what's right for you. I have family that have never been in a relationship, and they're happy. I have others that married before college and have a small army of children, and they're happy.

It’s completely normal and healthy to not want a full time, committed relationship. Culture has told you it’s not OK, especially if you’re a woman. But it is, really.

A normal check in for a long distance relationship might be 1 or 2 calls per day, of moderate length (3-10 minutes).

Text messages are asynchronous and it should be assumed that people will often go for hours without responding. If I see non-urgent messages from my wife during the workday, I'm not responding until my day slows down. She knows this.

Personal opinion? He's jealous and afraid you're sleeping around. That's why he's checking on you constantly. In his defense, this problem is EXTREMELY common in military romances; a civilian partner who sleeps around while the serviceman is deployed is a story you will hear from MANY active duty and veterans.

I guess the larger question is: assuming you resolve this speedbump, how do you see the future? Are you two actually compatible? Or are you going to prefer a more solitary existence even after he's discharged and wants to live with you 24/7?

Also: the cells in the epithelium most exposed to the alcohol are already dead.