Marital Considerations and the Effects of Divorce on Junior Service Members
Abstract
The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to gain a better understanding of factors that contribute to the increased likelihood of junior enlisted active-duty servicemembers marrying at a younger age than their civilian counterparts and subsequently divorcing at an increased rate. This study is designed to gain a better understanding of the beliefs and expectations that drive this marital proclivity by reviewing past literature, analyzing the divorce and marital tendencies of junior service members, and using existing data, collected from Marines and Sailors E-5 and below conducting their first enlistment, that assesses their perceptions and beliefs surrounding marriage and divorce. Prior literature indicates that the youthful marriage rate is driven by central themes, including financial incentives established by the Department of Defense (DOD) and a culture that promotes an idealistic expectation of marriage. This leads to a prevailing tendency to make life-altering decisions through an idealistic lens. Survey results indicated a desire by junior service members to rapidly mature into adulthood through marriage and an overwhelming agreement that premarital training was beneficial to the population, despite a reluctance to participate in such training. I advocate for continued exploration into evidence-informed training to educate this population regarding marriage, creating positive impacts in their personal lives, thus benefitting the force readiness posture of the DOD.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1164940
Entities
People
- Geoffrey R. Lancaster
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School