Divorce and the Military

The Associated Press reports that the divorce rate has increased for Army and Marine Corps personnel. For the Army, the rate increased from 3.3% in 2007 to 3.5%. The Marines saw an even larger increase—from 3.3% to 3.7%.

According to the article, this number only accounts for those persons still on active duty. So, those who have left the service or those who are reservists or in the National Guard were not considered. I would have to imagine that if you consider those numbers, the rate would be even higher. After all, many of those men and women left higher paying civilian jobs when their units were activated. The combined strain of finances and absence surely takes its toll.

Even though Hattiesburg and Forrest County are home to Camp Shelby, I can’t say there has been an increase in divorces because on the increased number of soldiers coming through the area. Of course, this is not the location of many of those soldiers’ marital home. Under Mississippi law, the divorce must take place in the county in which the couple’s marital home is located.

For those of you in the military or who know servicemen and women, what is your own observation of the divorce rate in the military?