Military families are put under unusual amounts of stress due to their military responsibilities that often leave one or both spouses enlisted away from home. You could say that non-military families are not subjected to this type of responsibility. This is a type of responsibility that removes service members from loved ones. However, the Defense Department has released a statement that military divorce rates are at an all time low since 2005.
The Department of Defense has a direct correlation and explanation for the decline in military divorce rates. They accredit the decline in divorce rates to a decline in married female service members filing for divorce. According to recent statistics, the rate has divorce rate for married female service member has dropped nearly 2 percent since 2011. The male married divorce rate has dropped as well, but only by a few tenths of a percent.
In 2011, 9.5 percent of married female Marines filed for divorce but only 6.2 percent of married female Marines filed for divorce most recently. This was the largest drop across all military groups both male and female. One thing that is important to note about these statistics is that the state of California is one of a few states that choose not to report civilian divorce rates to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is why it is difficult to compare the California civilian divorce rates to current military divorce rates.
It can be a good thing for a military family to be a support group and to stay intact as long as it is a positive support system. When that support system fails, naturally it is appropriate for the spouses to part ways. While there has been a recent decline in military divorce rates, it does not mean that military divorce doesn't still happen. It will always be a viable option for military service members who need a divorce.