Divorces Among Military Personnel

Divorce among active duty military personnel almost doubled between 2001 and 2004. The number of troops on active duty remained stable during that same period. One reason behind these numbers are undoubtedly the repeated long tours of duty soldiers are assigned in Iraq.

Military personnel served with divorce papers have special protections provided to them by the Service Members’ Civil Relief Act. The serviceman/woman cannot be considered at default for not responding to a divorce proceeding. They must make the court aware of their active duty status and may hire an attorney to petition the court to obtain active representation. It may, however be to the military spouse’s advantage to see the case progress. As long as the marriage remains intact, the spouse’s retirement pay increases while the divorce action is pending.

Female service personnel have a divorce rate more than double that of men in the military. Even among members of the reserve forces, divorce is on the increase. Since the September 11th attack the rate of divorce has increased one percentage point. What causes the general increase in divorce among America’s troops? Many believe it is stress from the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars. Since 2001, when troops were sent to the Mid-East, countless soldiers have been injured or killed. The grief brought on because of living through such trauma can cause personality changes that affect their interpersonal relationships.

Intimate relationships are especially frayed by frequent relocations and extended deployments. Military leadership is giving this problem serious attention due to the strain this plays on marriages. The statistics only include those who divorced while in active service. The tragic stresses military personnel experience cause many more marriages to end after actual service has ended. Much more assistance needs to be provided to assist re-assimilation into civilian life to keep marriages together.