Study shows service members’ marriages are prone to divorce
Residents of Orange County, California, as well as people across the entire United States, hold enlisted personnel in very high regard. Without a doubt, their bravery and sacrifice are unparalleled and inspiring. Unfortunately, a recent study has concluded that as service members fight abroad, they might be prone to losing a different battle back in their own home.
Research sponsored by the United States Department of Defense has found that deployments abroad had a negative influence on service members’ marriages. The study used information from 462,444 enlisted personnel who served the military between March 1999 and June 2008. The study indicated that 28 percent of military couples who married before the 9/11 attacks were more likely to divorce within a three-year period, especially if one spouse or both were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan for at least a year. Ninety-seven percent of these divorces occurred when personnel returned from deployment abroad.
However, the study also had a silver lining as it concluded that military families with children were less likely to divorce.
On the other hand, military couples who married after 9/11 had a smaller chance of divorcing despite deployment. Researchers speculate that these couples were more equipped with the struggles of war than those who married prior to 9/11. The length of the deployment still increased the risk of divorce.
Theis plight affecting military service members and their families is indeed unfortunate. However, the report goes to show like most couples, Orange County couples included, miitary couples are vulnerable to marital difficulties. To address this, all couples, military or civilians, may wish to seek advice from a family law professional. If a divorce is inevitable, legal guidance can be essential in dealing with divorce legal issues like child support, property division and alimony.
Source: Huffington Post, “Military divorce risk increases with lengthy deployments,” Sept. 3, 2013
