Part-Time Forces Decline Steeply, Army Divorce Rate Doubles

[G_j]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/11/politics/11reserves.html?th=&emc=th&pagewanted=print

July 11, 2005

Part-Time Forces on Active Duty Decline Steeply
By ERIC SCHMITT and DAVID S. CLOUD

WASHINGTON, July 10 - The number of Reserve and National Guard troops on domestic and overseas missions has fallen to about 138,000, down from a peak of nearly 220,000 after the invasion of Iraq two years ago, a sharp decline that military officials say will continue in the months ahead.

The decrease comes as welcome relief to tens of thousands of formerly part-time soldiers who, with their families, employers and communities, have been badly stressed by their long call-ups for duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Reserve and National Guard members from all of the armed services make up about 35 percent of the troops in Iraq, a share that is expected to drop to about 30 percent by next year; the vast majority are from the Army Reserve and Army National Guard.

But as these returning troops settle back into their civilian lives, the Army is running perilously low on its Reserve and National Guard soldiers who largely fill certain critical support jobs, like military police and civil affairs officers and truck drivers. Marine Corps reservists are facing similar constraints.

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http://www.suntimes.com/cgi-bin/print.cgi

Divorce rate doubles for Army couples

BY DAVID CRARY

NEW YORK -- While U.S. casualties steadily mount in Iraq, another toll is rising rapidly on the home front: The Army's divorce rate has soared in the past three years, most notably for officers, as longer and more frequent war zone deployments place extra strain on couples.

''We've seen nothing like this before,'' said Col. Glen Bloomstrom, a chaplain who oversees family-support programs. ''It indicates the amount of stress on couples, on families, as the Army conducts the global war on terrorism.''

Between 2001 and 2004, divorces among active-duty Army officers and enlisted personnel nearly doubled, from 5,658 to 10,477, even though total troop strength remained stable. In 2002, the divorce rate among married officers was 1.9 percent -- 1,060 divorces out of 54,542 marriages; by 2004, the rate had tripled to 6 percent, with 3,325 divorces out of 55,550 marriages.

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[mom cat]

1. No surprise. The treatment of our troops has been beyond awful.

They will be paying for this war for years to come! The divorce rat does not come as a surprise, nor does the drop in recruiting. The word is out. People are starting to "vote with their feet" when it comes to this war!

[wake.up.america]

2. Let's get this right.

Let's get this right.

I don't support the US troops because I think the war in IRAQ is beyond stupid, but the BA is showing their support for the troops by treating them lower than whale excrement.

US troop support for Bush is high??!!

[trumad]

3. .

[lebkuchen]

4. Gen. Helmly probably didn't comment because he had nothing more to add

His prediction of the Reserves becoming a broken force is becoming reality. What more can he say? He warned about it, and now it's happening.

Jebbie is probably thanking his lucky stars right now that "Dennis" lost its strength:

In Florida, where Hurricane Dennis crashed ashore on Sunday, Maj. Gen. Douglas Burnett, the state's adjutant general, said he was able to meet the state's missions, even though half of its 12,500 Air and Army National Guard forces have been activated for federal duty since the Sept. 11 attacks.


As for the doubled divorce rate among Army officers, I'd like some lurking RWer to tell me how Bush's policies promote "family values."

[leesa]

5. Sanctity of marriage!! Sanctity of marriage! If they give a rip about it

why not ban war?? Does waaaaay more damage to marriage than homosexuals could possibly do in a million years.

[G_j]

6. yep, real GOP family values n/t

[gratuitous]

7. Joining the military is hazardous to your health

And I'm not talking about just the possibility of getting shot or blown up in Iraq. Enlistment forms should come with a Surgeon General's warning.

[lebkuchen]

8. That is a fantastic idea--1st time I've heard it.

Why not offer it up in a letter to your local paper?