“There were an estimated 10,200 failed marriages in the active duty Army and 3,077 among Marines, according to figures obtained by The Associated Press for the budget year ended Sept. 30. That’s a divorce rate of 3.5 percent among more than 287,000 married troops in the Army, up from 3.3 percent in the previous fiscal year, according to Defense Department figures.” [Link]

“In 2008, as the stock market cratered and the housing market collapsed, more young members of the Army, Air Force and Navy decided to re-up. While several factors might explain the rise in re-enlistments, including a decline in violence in Iraq, Pentagon officials acknowledge that bad news for the economy is usually good news for the military. In fact, the Pentagon just completed its strongest recruiting year in four years. ‘We do benefit when things look less positive in civil society,’ said David Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.” [Link]

“Ms. Barrett-Carter, 21, started contemplating a military career a few years ago. She said her weight was normal during high school, but then she started gaining. She weighed 263 pounds and wore size 22 pants when she first met Sgt. Memolo. The Army’s weight and body fat requirements vary based on height, age and gender. Sgt. Memolo gave Ms. Barrett-Carter a target weight of 160 pounds.” [Link]