Colorado residents may be interested in learning about a recent report from the United States Defense Department reveals that the divorce rate in the military is at its highest since 1999. Out of all the armed forces branches, the Air Force is shown to have many more divorces than any other. In all, divorces involving individuals enlisted in the Air Force accounted for 6,743 divorces. This is about 4.6 percent of the United States' total 30,000 divorces in 2011.

A high-ranking official with the Air Force explained that divorce issues for enlistees can be caused by a number of factors, but attributed many to the stress of two wars and multiple deployments. He writes, "Deployments do take a toll on families. What we do is not easy, and separation can be difficult." He added that the return home from deployment can also be difficult for many Air Force enlistees.

The Air Force divorce rate is now nearly 64 percent higher than it was a decade ago, having risen steadily since the U.S. entered Afghanistan. At the time, Air Force divorce rate sat at about 2.5 percent. In each year since, with the exception of 2005 and 2008, the rate climbed until reaching 3.9 percent in 2011.

One military chaplain explained that Air Force service frequently causes an enlistee's life to undergo dramatic changes. "These couples knew each other pretty well before they got married, but the Air Force is a very active organization," he said. The chaplain added that enlistees that attempt to remain in a dual-military marriage often face additional challenges, as their differing deployment timetables often make it difficult for them to see each other. The Air Force has 15,647 married couples with both spouses actively serving.

Source: Air Force Times, "Air Force divorce rate highest in military," David Larter and Michelle Tan, Dec. 31, 2011