Rising tide of military divorces stemmed with counselling

There is evidence of a growing divorce rate amongst US troops returning from Iraq caused by prolonged separation, and the stresses of active service.

National Guard in Maine and New Hampshire are concerned about the rise, but are confident that most couples will stay together. They continue to recommend couples seek professional marriage counselling if they encounter difficulties, which can occur up to six months after couples are reunited.

Another factor is the prolonged time spent with comrades; upon their return they find it hard to say goodbye to their guard families.

About half of the state’s 1,800 Army guard soldiers returned this year from long overseas deployments. The guard launched “Operation Welcome Home” to help them readjust to civilian life.

Universal factors are often magnified in these relationships - the biggest problem is lack of communication; communication which is difficult over long distances is strained when couples come back together.

Organised retreats for couples help them to re-discover the joy of being married.

Military programmes designed to help and save marriages include:

• The Deployment Cycle Support Program
• The Building Strong and Ready Families Program
• The Strong Bonds Marriage Education Program
• The Marine Corps’ Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program
• The Navy’s Marriage Enrichment Retreat

Read the full article: Guard families confront divorce after Iraq return