Am I thinking this through clearly? Advice?

I’m in a bit of a tuft. I’m 16 years old, and my boyfriend is 18. We’ve been together a very long time. I’m his first everything (first girlfriend, first kiss… ok not everything, but you know what I mean), and he’s my first as well. The question came up the other day about whether or not we should go further. We talked in person for a good two hours just about this subject. He explained to me that he’s ready to lose his virginity, if (and only if) I’m ready. He wants to do it for all of the right reasons; those reasons being: We know each other better than anyone else, we trust each other, and we’re doing it for love, not just to get it out of the way. I think those are excellent reasons to do it. But on the other hand, he’s leaving August 13th for the Citadel (Military College). He’ll be gone most of the year (with the exception of holidays and vacations). He also told me that when he leaves, he doesn’t want to leave me heartbroken. There aren’t any girls at this Citadel because it’s an all guys academy. He wouldn’t cheat on me- he’s not that kind of person. I feel like I’m ready. I’ve been told by a reliable source that if I have any doubts regarding intercourse, that I shouldn’t do it, for I’ll regret it after. I don’t have any doubts. I don’t want to say that I love him, because that’s a cliché and I don’t like using that word, and neither does he, but how else could I define those feelings? I’ve been on birth control for the past 2 months (for a different reason… I think you girls understand), so I’m prepared if we decide to do it. I just want to know, after everything I’ve explained, do these reasons sound good enough? Should I give him everything?