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Divorce rates rise for soldiers, Marines

WASHINGTON — Enlisted soldiers and Marines divorced their spouses at a higher rate in fiscal 2008 than at any time in at least 16 years, according to Pentagon data released Tuesday.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has warned that stress among military families remains intense after years of multiple combat deployments and lengthy separations.

Many soldiers saw their combat tours extended to 15 months in 2008; many of them returned home for only about a year before facing another deployment. The strain also has been reflected in a record number of suicides in the Army, which military doctors blame largely on relationships damaged by lengthy deployments.

Mental health problems, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, are also occurring in greater numbers, according to Pentagon data.

About 4 percent of married enlisted troops in both the Army and Marines, or 8,842 GIs and 2,842 Marines, obtained divorces during fiscal 2008, the numbers show. The data reflect a steady upward trend in divorce among enlisted soldiers since 2003 and enlisted Marines since 2005.

Statistical tables provided by the Pentagon extend back to 1992, and the divorce rate among enlisted Marines and enlisted soldiers in 2008 was highest in that 16-year period.

There were nearly 1,000 more divorces among enlisted soldiers in 2008 than in 2007, the data show.

The divorce rate among Army and Marine officers has remained fairly steady, according to the data.