As the war in Iraq stretches into its seventh year and the conflict in Afghanistan expands, increasing numbers of returning servicemen and women face the challenge of holding together marriages ravaged by years of distance and the anxiety of combat. As many as 300,000 soldiers are returning with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, suffering flashbacks and nightmares that can shatter close relationships, according to a 2008 Rand Corp. study. Many more return feeling a generalized disconnection from loved ones that can turn soldiers into strangers in their own home. The result is the Army’s highest divorce rate among enlisted soldiers in at least 19 years, according to the Army Times, an important trend given that 56 percent of soldiers are married. And happily married troops have better morale and are less likely to leave the military, officials say.
Aggregation of real-time updates on relationship and marriage news, research, and global trends compiled by
Marc Payan
