Divorce is often inevitable. Some people are not able to deal with differences in a marriage and the dispute gets to the point at which staying together is no longer feasible. For people in the military, this is a prevalent issue. Missourians who are in the military in any capacity should be aware of various situations that are prominent in a military divorce. One recent study highlights the problems that are inherent with military couples and their divorce rates.
U.S. census information was used to assess which career fields have the highest divorce rates by age 30. In that group, those who are front-line enlisted military supervisors have a divorce rate of 30 percent. This is the highest of all careers. People in this field are responsible for coordination of enlisted personnel. They will also lead operations. Those in military service have different responsibilities and emotional stress that civilians do not have. The pay is often low, the military member is frequently not home and is either in harm’s way for much of the time or there is a looming threat of that person being placed in harm’s way at a moment’s notice.
With deployments, people were found to be more prone to divorce. The rates rose for every month that the military spouse was away from home. Deployed members have a divorce rate that is slightly more than 12.5 percent for those in the U.S. Navy; almost nine percent for the Marine Corps; 14.6 percent for members of the U.S. Air Force; and almost 8.5 percent for those in the Army. People who return from combat often have mental issues. Even those who were not deployed have had problems in their marriage. This is believed to be linked to marriages occurring when they are young and the frequency of moving from one place to another.
There are a host of issues that make a military marriage unique. The same is true when a couple with one or both members in the military chooses to divorce. Such issues as military retirement benefits can come to the forefront. For people who are thinking about a military divorce, having legal advice from an attorney who is experienced in military matters is imperative.
Source: marketwatch.com, “Americans in this field have the highest rate of divorce by age 30,” Kari Paul, July 24, 2017
