A military marriage is anything but typical. The challenges that Dallas couples face when one or both are service members are unique in many ways. Similarly, when some military couples find that their marriages are at an end, there are unique concerns that need to be addressed.
One interesting statistic that a recent report has focused on is the relative age of military spouses. Nearly 60 percent of U.S. service members are married. However, nearly a quarter of the force are between the ages of 26 and 30, and over 40 percent are 25 years old or younger. That speaks to the phenomenon known as the “young marriage complex.”
There was a time when young people would rush to tie the knot before heading out on deployments. Today, there is a sense among young soldiers that marriage provides a sense of stability that can be lacking when one’s life is often in danger on active deployment. Particularly when couples have lost friends in the line of duty, they may feel that they don’t want to postpone the decision to get married — they want to live for the present.
As military partners age and their lives and perspectives change, some may find that they have grown in separate directions. Ending a military marriage can require the division of a military retirement plan, and there are special laws governing this. Child custody can also be a complex issue when deployments take one or both spouses away for extended periods of time. A family law professional with experience in this field can be an important resource.
Source: Military Times, “Soldiers often marry young, and for good reasons,” Katelyn Clark, Jan. 5, 2016
