I'm late to the party, or early since this is the pre-trip report, or late since you've already been to Maine, or..... whatever!
I'm also a military spouse so I thought I'd remind you that since you are trying to get Poly (if you are still trying???) remember that if they renew the Military Salute, that you can get 40% off deluxe resorts. They should be announcing in July.
Also, since you asked about how military can communicate when deployed, well it's much better than when our DH's were in Iraq. With skype and email and so much more, they have much more constant communication than ever. We have a very close personal friend who provides internet and phone service for military in Afghanistan. He offers a cell phone with a US area code, so soldiers can call/text at US rates, which is just amazing!
Your dogs are beyond adorable. We recently lost our dog, and it is so fun to watch your new pup grow in these posts!
We'll be at WDW at the beginning of November, so I'm enjoying seeing your plans for the same timeframe.
Happy Belated B-Day to you and your Dis friends! Hope you had a great time at the lake.