I (20M) am in the U.S. Navy and have been stationed in Japan for just over a year. A few months after I got here, I met a local girl (19F), and we started dating. Things moved pretty fast we spent a lot of time together, got close quickly, and while we weren’t trying for anything serious at first, it naturally turned into something more.

she told me she’s pregnant a few days ago We were using protection most of the time, but not perfectly, and obviously one slip-up was all it took. I was shocked at first, but I told her I want to be involved. I’ve taken steps to make sure I can support her financially and be part of the baby’s life. I’m not the kind of guy to walk away.

I recently got orders. In about three months, I’m being deployed back to the States specifically to Virginia. That makes the whole situation a hundred times harder. We’ve talked about options, and she and her family are pushing hard for marriage. They say it’s the only acceptable thing, culturally, now that she’s pregnant. She’s also scared of raising the baby alone and says marriage would make her feel secure.

Her family isn’t having it. They’ve accused me of abandoning her and being just another American who came here, got a girl pregnant, and bailed they think I should marry her to “do the right thing,” especially with the baby on the way and my deployment coming up. But others say I’d be making a bigger mistake by committing to a marriage I’m not ready for especially when I’m about to be 7,000 miles away.

I still talk to her every day. I want to stay in the baby’s life. But right now, I feel like I’m being treated like the bad guy just because I’m not ready to get married under pressure.

So… AITA for refusing to marry her, especially with deployment coming up?