Between 2001 and 2004, the divorce rate in the U.S. Army roughly doubled. Here’s a story about it from the Chicago Sun Times. And another from the Los Angeles Times.
Although there’s no direct evidence of causality, all of the stories make the assumption (which seems reasonable) that the unprecedented increase in divorces is attributable to the stress of deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan. “An awful lot of people are going back to Iraq for a second tour — that must be hard to take,” said Army spokesperson Martha Rudd. “You can get through one tour, but then you think, ‘Please, no more.'”
Army personnel who divorce while deployed overseas face special challenges, particularly when child custody is an issue. And even if they are willing for the children to live with the other parent, it’s difficult for them to arrange and implement visitation time with their children.
I can understand the stress that the spouse goes through.I was 6months prengant with our first child when my husband left for Iraq.We had just gotten married before he left. I was 21 n he was 22 years old. He was gone for a year and I was stressed to the point that I didnt know if I was coming or going.It was very hard for us, we had trust issues and I was very depressed. Even to this day we are having problems, they are talking about going back to Iraq. I dont think that we are going to make it through this one. I just wanted to point out that it is very hard, and no matter how hard you try it only gets harder.
iI MADE IT WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS IN IRAQ BUT IT WAS SO HARD. AND I KNOW HE WENT THROUGH A LOT OVER THERE. SO I DID EVERY THING POSSIBLE TO MAKE IT EASIER ON HIM WHEN HE RE TURN HOME. BUT HE WAS STATION GA I WENT TO HIM LEAVING MY JOB. ONLY THING I WAS UNABLE TO FIND ONE THERE. FIRST TIME AWAY FROM HOME DIDNT KNOW ANYONE WAS VERY STRESSFUL ON ME HAD A MISCARRIAGE. EVERYTHING JUST WENT DOWN HILL FROM THERE. HE JOIN A BIKE CLUB AND THAT WAS IT, HE LEFT ME HOME ALONE ALL THE TIME DIDNT EVEN KNOW WHERE HE WERE HALF THE TIME. HE LEFT ONE STURDAY A 12 NOON GOT A CALL FROM HIM ABOUT 1 AM SUNDAY MORNING HE WAS IN TENN. CAN YOU BELIVE THAT I JUST HAD TO LEAVE AND GO BACK HOME. NOW HE BLAMES ME FOR ALL OUR PROBLEMS.