Military divorce rate up
Story By: Associated Press
Source: AP
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to take a toll on military marriages.
Figures obtained by The Associated Press show that the divorce rate among active duty soldiers in Fiscal 2008 was 3.5 percent -- up from 3.3 percent the year before. Among Marines, 3.7 percent of all marriages failed, up from 3.3 percent. In terms of numbers, that was almost 13,300 military divorces.
An Army spokesman says frequent deployments and relocations test intimate relationships.
Some veteran and family groups question whether Pentagon figures are too low. They say the figures don't take into account many who divorce after leaving the service. A member of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America says the figures also don't reflect the marriages that are strained, but holding together.
