As more and more of our troops come home the adjustment to life back with their families can be very overwhelming. It can also be difficult for families whose military mom, dad or husband has been away to readjust to having another adult back in the home contributing to household chores and discipline.

A recent report from the United States Department of Defense shows divorce issues are increasingly affecting more enlisted troops from Colorado and across the U.S. The year 2011 saw more military divorces than 2010 and conformed to an upward trend first established in 2001. When the U.S. military first entered Afghanistan, the rate of divorce among members of the military was 2.6 percent, but that figure has since risen to 3.7 percent.

A researcher with RAND Corp. explained that while the yearly increases in military divorce are small, they demonstrate the affect armed conflict has on the marriages of service members. He said that the gradual increase in divorce is consistent with "what we would expect." Additionally, he stated that very little has changed, the drawdown has affected people a little bit, but there's still plenty of people deployed.

Although overall armed forces divorces increased by only 0.1 percent between 2010 and 2011, different branches saw higher rates, especially among enlisted women. For instance, females in the Navy saw a 0.4 percent increase in divorces in the past year. However, other groups, like female Marines, saw 0.4 percent fewer divorces. However, experts say that the relatively small number of women in these branches can cause statistics to be skewed. The researcher with RAND explained, "The overall trends and the larger numbers are what we have to attention to."

Officials with the Army say the trend demonstrates a need for more focus on supporting the marriages of enlisted men and women. The Army currently operates a program called Strong Bonds, which last year spent more than $100 million on marriage supporting, funding over 4,000 events at numerous military bases. A representative for the Army Chief of Chaplains Office said that commanders have begun to request more Strong Bonds events at their bases in recent years.

Source: Military.com, "Military Divorce Rates Continue Steady Climb," Amy Bushatz, Dec. 14, 2011