Team up with a CPA (Certified Professional Accountant) that specializes in Real Estate taxes.

Set up some keyword alerts on the forums here to get alerts on things you are specifically wanting to learn (maybe start with: military, VA loan, newbie, first investment, a city or state you are interested in). 

To create the ability to full retire when I leave the military at the age of 43.

You want a surgeon that specializes in the kind of surgery you need, not a general practitioner.

I'm currently with the military and living in Virginia. 

@Graham Allen Find a niche that you like (ex. single family residence, near a military base, or a STR in a vacation place or near a large hospital system?) 

Are you wanting to attract military tenants? 

Since when to tenants deserve something special like discounts? 

I know that some people with long term special needs family members like a sink in the bedroom. 

If the association was good, they would have that cash on hand to cover the expense, but a lot of them don’t, so you would get a demand called a special assessment for $10,000 to cover your share.