3 1/2 years ago, I retired from the military at the age of 38 after 22 years. I joined at 17 and it was a huge part of my life. I met my husband who was also in at the age of 20.
Throughout this time we had been apart from our extended families - parents, siblings, relatives. Our military friends became our extended family. Somehow, deep inside us we still felt that we have "missed out" of being around them all this time. So, we decided to move to be closer to my family. The experience didn't quite work out the way we were hoping it would.
I think the biggest challenge of being away for that long of a duration is that you change. Unknowingly you do, you experience different things, interact with different types of people, shop different, travel to different places - then your family & friends have had different experiences than you - it's sometimes difficult to relate.
For my situation my family expected me to be the same 17 year old I was when they last knew me.