<human>: Could you distill the essence of the text into 1-3 sentences?

Where to start.. in 2003-2004 I was dating a woman who was also in the Army. We fell in love, and being stationed apart ultimately broke us. It was not a good breakup by any means. She was going on her first deployment to Iraq, I was "getting out". 

Fast forward to 3~ months ago. After 10 years of no contact at all, not one word. We both emailed each other within a week to separate email accounts. We've since discovered that the feelings we had have done nothing but grown over the years. 

We are about to give our relationship a second chance. She is getting out of the army in November of this year, I have been out several years now. She has been deployed 3 times as a flight medic. We don't speak about her deployments unless she initiates the conversation. She is very uncomfortable with that part of her life, and is always grateful that I "was never deployed". 

The problem is, after we broke up, I stayed in and did 2 tours in Iraq, and one in Afghanistan as a Forward Observer. I have never told her this. She thinks I got out during our breakup. Every time my time in the Army has come up, I just sort of smile and nod and sympathize. Saying things like "yeah I'm glad I got out before I had to experience what you went through" etc. 

I do not want to start our new relationship carrying this. I feel it is unfair to both of us. I've pretty much accepted and worked through everything I had on my plate as far as wars are concerned. I am very worried telling her the truth will make her, I'm not sure how to word this. I guess make her feel less important to me, since it would put us on the same level? 

It is a very sensitive topic for her in general, and the last thing I want to do is hurt her -or- start our new relationship with a lie. So reddit, it's not really if I should tell her, it's a matter of how I should tell her that I'm looking for. Any help is appreciated, and questions that remain I will answer. Thank you.
<bot>: rekindled love after 10 years, has been deployed multiple times and thinks I haven't been, when in fact I was. How do I tell her without making her feel less significant?