Study Shows Military Divorce Happens to 1 in 27 on Active Duty

Many Utah residents understand that it is difficult to be married to a United States service member. The stresses placed on a military family are unlike the stresses of a civilian marriage. This could be why one study shows that for every 27 military marriages there is one military divorce.

Outside of the possibility of deployment to a hostile location, one of the biggest stressors placed on a military family is the unknown. Soldiers are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. The service member could work long hours or be called away for training exercises without warning.

While spouses are deployed, life can get lonely for the ones left behind. It can be challenging to make plans for the family since the soldier never stops being a soldier and could be called away at a moment’s notice. The military does not stop defending the country just because it is the holiday season.

The stress of wondering whether a loved one will come home also weighs heavily on military spouses. Of course, many service men and women who return home could be injured or have difficulty reintegrating into family life after a long, and sometimes dangerous, deployment. Having a normal life can be difficult.

The strain of this kind of life can ultimately lead to a military divorce. When a military family breaks up, there are also issues to be dealt with that are not present in civilian divorces. Knowing what those issues are and how to deal with them could ensure that a Utah former military spouse receives all of the benefits to which he or she is entitled.

Source: jdnews.com, Mobile military life can stress marriage, Thomas Brennan, Dec. 30, 2013