Word of advice is that if you believe you are going to be stationed at your current location for a while consider using your earned benefit of the VA loan to house hack a detached duplex.  

We saved up extra pays from military deployments, cashed out stocks and mutual funds, When we got a promotion, we set aside the funds over the old salary for a deposit. 

What value do I bring to the table for them to focus on me more and make the extra effort? 

A good lesson is to never sign off on a change order unless it has been discussed, shown to you, and you and he agree it is extra and the price is reasonable.

If it is to learn the process, I say go for it, if it is to earn a higher return with less work then I would say there are better vehicles for that.

There is a Realtor Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation that some Realtors earn. 

I’ve had terrible luck with PMs, I just happen to live in a solid (although expensive) market, and my husband just earned his real estate license in our market.

My goal with beginning real estate investing is to build some stuff extra income for now, and wealth for later.

You might find the extra coverage isn't much more. 

It's like "You chose to leave half of your furniture, but went the extra mile to unplug the fridge?".