Army Battles High Divorce Rates

A jump in divorce rates since the start of the Iraq war has the Army concerned. Marriages are falling apart as soldiers return home from tours of combat duty emotionally distant and unwilling to discuss their experiences. The military has now launched 'marriage education' retreats to try and repair the damage, the New York Times reports.

The Army has already had some success in helping couples with basic communication skills but it is now aiming to directly tackle the stresses war causes. Counselors will try to bridge the split perspectives long deployments cause and help jaded veterans understand that for their spouses, marriage breakdown can be what military commanders call a "worst-case scenario." (More marriage stories.)