What is the risk of divorce for married veterans?

The pressures and stress of military service can have a noticeable impact on marriage for veterans and active-duty service members. Veterans who have combat experience are particularly hard-hit; their marriages have been found to be 62% more likely to fail than those of civilians. Combat can have traumatic effects, and trauma hinders the ability to form and maintain close, trusting relationships. Even in the days when divorce was not as common in the general society, veterans had high divorce rates. Veterans of the Korean War, for example, were 45 percent more likely to be divorced 10 years after their return from deployment than non-veterans at that time. Women in the military divorce at three times the rate of military men.

Veterans who are experiencing marital problems during reintegration to civilian life are advised to seek professional counseling. The stresses of readjustment are usually temporary, and it may help to view marital problems as more normal than not under these circumstances. A trained therapist or counselor can provide much-needed perspective.