According to recent studies, married military veterans have a harder time transitioning back to civilian life. For some in Tennessee, this may mean that their children are acting differently toward them after a deployment or behaviors from overseas are still obviously apparent, and it could result in the end of their marriage.

Military divorce is hard and, according to statistics released by the Pentagon, on the rise. The 2011 fiscal year saw divorce rates among members of the military climb to 4 percent. According to data, the 30,000 military divorces that happened last year are the most since 1999.

The military has made some changes in the hopes of assisting those having a hard time transitioning to civilian life. Policies in the past gave returning soldiers 90 days before anything was required of them by the government. The amount of time was chosen so that soldiers could become reacquainted with friends and family.

But now that timeframe has been shortened to 45 days. At that point, returning soldiers are required to attend a Yellow Ribbon Program. These retreats allow spouses and co-habitants to join in when relationship issues are discussed.

Often, it is little changes that may make it hard for some soldiers to return to their home. In their absence, spouses may have placed things in different drawers or perhaps are now paying the bills differently than when a deployment came around.

And habits from war may carry over to civilian life. According to reports, some veteran drivers may swerve away from trash cans in the United States. After a year of avoiding roadside bombs, who can blame them?

It's important to remember that every marriage is unique and handles unique situations. If a veteran and his or her spouse feel the need to divorce, then it is best to do it in a professional setting that can prevent emotions from running too high.

Source: The Kansas City Star, "Troops find transition to civilian life complicated," Rick Montgomery, Jan. 21, 2012