Special forces' marriages on shaky ground, survey shows

I didn't plan on this being the very first post but considering it is about military families, I couldn't think of a better way to being this site. This site is going to be a carry over from Wounded Times. That site has become too large and needs to be broken down to be easier for people to find the answers they are looking for. Don't worry. Wounded Times is not going to change and will remain faithful to covering the reports from around the country. This site will be about the changes war fighters and their families need to know about.

This is a report on Special Forces and their families. It is the best way to begin.

Special forces' marriages on shaky ground, survey shows
USA TODAY
Gregg Zoroya
5:41 p.m. EDT July 9, 2013

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Navy SEALs, Green Berets, other elite forces have conducted some of the most secretive, dangerous missions of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan
First-ever survey of special ops forces finds fighting units frayed by more than a decade of war
Elite forces may spend up to nine months a year away from their families

Marriages among many of the nation's elite troops — Navy SEALs, Green Berets, Rangers and others — are so damaged after years of war that one in five commandos say that if given the chance, they would have married someone else or not at all.

The results of a first-ever survey of special operations forces, troops drawn from all four branches of the military, show a highly trained force where small sectors are struggling with alcohol abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, anger and emotional numbness. As many as one in four admit sleeping five or fewer hours each night.

The elite troops have conducted the most secretive combat missions of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, including the 2011 raid where Osama bin Laden was killed.

An executive summary of the survey results was provided to USA TODAY.

They echo concerns raised in recent years by Navy Adm. William McRaven, who leads the nation's 66,000-member Special Operations Command, that his force has become "frayed" after more than a decade of persistent conflict.

"I think that's a gentle way to articulate what's happening," says Navy SEAL Capt. Thomas Chaby, appointed by McRaven to lead an effort to restore the force. " 'Frayed' I don't think captures how dire some of the findings are."
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