Mediate Michigan

Each Nov. 11, we pay tribute to our veterans of wars past and present for their service, their courage and their sacrifices. But these men and women seldom return home unscathed by their wartime experiences and as they attempt to reintegrate into civil society, resuming or reshaping intimate relationships is among their biggest challenges.

No matter how just the cause, war is a hell that takes a heavy toll on veterans’ marriages. This is especially true of combat soldiers, whose first marriages are much likelier to end in separation or divorce than non-combatants. It is also true of officers, and of women, now 11 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

via Elizabeth Abbott: Lest We Forget, Marriage Is Often a Forgotten Casualty of War.