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According to reports, the divorce rate in the armed forces has been steady for the past year with 3.3 percent divorces occurring.
Researchers find this statistic to be surprising considering the elevated level of stress that marriages are currently under with the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
War and Divorce
The divorce rate reportedly represents more than 25, 000 marriages that ended among the nearly 755,000 married active duty troops that made up the military branches between October 1, 2006 and October 1, 2007.
Last year was supposedly the deadliest year for U.S. troops.
Army couples are also facing the additional struggle that comes along with the extended separations since tours of duty are now lasting 15 months.
“We all agree that there is stress on the families. It’s not just manifesting itself in these numbers,” explains Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Les Melnyk.
Rise in Divorce with Military Women
The biggest exception in these divorce statistics is reportedly the rise in divorce rates amongst military women.
Marriages with women in the military have proven to fail at twice the rate men in service.
Programs for Military Families
Paul Boyce, a spokesman for the army, says that the divorce rate in the military has remained steady due to the strong programs that are available to military families.
These programs include:
• Workshops for Marines to teach couples to manage conflict
• Weekend retreat programs for the Navy
(Source: Associated Press)
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