Love story from a military life

A Brisbane woman falls for a soldier and builds a life that defies a casual plan.

Love found on a military base

Emma Mugglestone, then 21, planned to move from Brisbane to the UK after finishing university. Her best friend Tegan introduced her to Gorgeous, an artillery officer living at Enoggera army base. They clicked quickly, sharing kisses after a night out and a dinner date soon after. When Gorgeous said his deployment to Afghanistan was postponed, Emma felt a mix of relief and fear because her own plan to travel loomed over her. The couple grew closer and met family members as their relationship deepened, even as they faced a time limit that could have ended things.

They married in 2009 and have two children and three dogs. Gorgeous did deploy to Afghanistan twice, but the couple found moments to be together, including a reunion in Japan during his relief out of country leave. They have traveled to the United States, the UK, Europe, New Zealand, Samoa and Fiji, building a shared life that turned a casual fling into a lasting partnership. Emma later published In the Long Run, a memoir that chronicles their journey.

The story presents a simple truth about love in a high pressure life: commitment can outlast even carefully laid plans. It shows how a relationship born in a military setting can grow into a stable family life, with patience and open talk acting as the catalyst. The piece also touches on a familiar tension for military partners—the balance between personal ambitions and the demands of service—and how couples negotiate time apart with shared adventures instead of separate paths.

Beyond romance, the narrative hints at a broader social dynamic. It highlights the role of support networks, the impact of frequent moves on family life, and how personal milestones like marriage and parenthood weave into a life shaped by deployments. The tone remains hopeful, underscoring resilience while acknowledging the strains that come with life in uniform.

Highlights

Love can redraw the map of your life when both people choose to stay.