Navy Nuke Security Clearance and Marriage

[chart006]

Hello everyone. I want to start off thanking everyone for reading, and especially those who respond with helpful advice. My name is Chris, and a little over a month ago I enlisted in the Navy to be a Nuke, and I am shipping out on the 29th of March. I am really excited and think that I will love it, but I have one big problem that keeps me up that would help me so much if it were to be solved. For this position I need a security clearance (I believe top secret). I am a US citizen by birth and have been out of the country to visit the countries Cambodia and Thailand, and have only one person that I keep in contact with, my girlfriend (which I listed on my security forms as a contact). I want to sponsor her for a visa to marry me in the United States as soon as possible, but the Navy, as good as it is, is in the way because I'm afraid that it will cause my security clearance to be denied or that it will cause me to wait longer in between schools. I have been told just to talk to my security officer when I'm in to get all of this ironed out, but I want to make sure with people who know something about this issue (like you all). Also some more information, my record is clean and I have no other issues like traffic tickets, or anything of the sort. She has not gotten into any trouble either. I am 20, she is 18 and she is Cambodian.
My questions are:
1) Are there repercussions for sponsoring someone with this clearance, whether it be longer waiting, a stigma, or ect. that will set me apart from other people?
2) How long into my schooling can I start the process? I want to apply for a K1 fiance visa or to go there and get married. For example, will I be able to iron this out in A school, power school, prototype, when I get orders, or when I'm out of the military?
3) How hard is it to get this settled? Will it require a lot of work and stress during the whole process, or is it relatively straightforward and simple?
Please give my any advice, suggestions, or comments in general because this is really important to me, and perhaps it will help other people too, because I have looked hours online but have found nothing with my situation.
Thanks again for everyone who reads and answers, and thanks to military members past and present for their service, and I'll be there soon.
P.S. I have already talked to my fiance about everything and we know what we are getting into.

[nukehomer]

You wouldn't be the first Navy guy who married someone from overseas (It is quite common).  I wouldn't lose any sleep about it.  Your security clearance will probably be a Secret not a Top Secret, and it will probably be done before you even start the process of bringing her over here.  Just contact whatever command you are attached to and let them know your intentions.  They can give you advice and help you with the process as far as your security clearance is concerned.  Good luck!! Being a Navy Nuke is definitely a great start in life.

[JsonD13]

I am not sure on whether or not it will affect your ability to obtain a security clearance.  However, I would not be surprised if it held up the process a bit.

During your schooling/training, it will be very hard to obtain leave for the purpose of leaving the country and getting married.  You might be able to coordinate it to occur in between one of the schools (A school, power school, prototype), but you will have to ask permission for the leave and you will be at the mercy of someone else's approval for it.  It would probably be a safer bet to try and get her a visa to come here.

If you can wait until after your training is complete, and you are assigned to your permanent duty station (be that ship or instructor), that would probably be the best for you.  Your life is going to be studying and working until you are complete with your training, and there isnt much room for anything else.  I went through the training pipeline and got married during.  It was a stressful time for my wife at the time because I was hardly there and she was in a brand new place, having to adjust to life.