Understand The Need

One percent of the population is carrying ninety nine percent of us -- the men and women in uniform. And that one percent allows the other ninety nine percent to be with our families, make a living and experience the freedoms that they carry on their backs.

Imagine being separated from your spouse and family for months or years. How would you feel missing your children's birthdays and school events, time with your souse and life as you know it? Now imagine coming back to your family after so much time has passed and readjusting. For the men and women of our military, these difficulties are a reality as they are apart from the ones they love while fighting for our country.

An Incredible Strain

Even military members who describe their marriages as 'strong' talk about the incredible strain separation causes. Repeated deployments to places such as Iraq and Afghanistan "take a toll on family life," says Kathleen Moakler, Deputy Director of Government Relations for the National Military Family Association. "Military families are being asked to make enormous sacrifices, and unfortunately, not every family structure is up to the challenges." ¹

Divorce On The Rise

Since the start of Operation Enduring Freedom, the divorce rate has increased from 2.6 percent in 2011 to 3.6 percent in 2009. According to DoD the rate remained at 3.6 percent in 2010.² The military credits programs to enhance military marriage, like the Rosberg's Military Initiative, with the staunch of rising divorce numbers. However, Benjamin Karney, a professor at UCLA, who has conducted extensive marriage studies with the RAND Corporation for DoD states, "I would not say that this is a downward trend -- it looks to me like stability."² By supporting the marriages of military men and women, the Rosbergs hope to see the stability of divorce rates decline by helping relieve the pressure on the marriages of the men and women who protect our freedoms.

Source

1 www.military.com, visited November 8, 2011, Divorce Rate Among Active-Duty Army Officers Has Risen Dramatically

2 www.military.com, visited November 8, 2011, Troop Divorce Rates Levels in 2010