Submariners Standby: The Pentagon's new "rules of engagement"

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. Army is trying to teach troops how to pick the right spouse, through a program called How To Avoid Marrying a Jerk, run by Chaplains. DoD records indicate some 56,000 Army personnel - active, National Guard and Reserve - have divorced since the campaign in Afghanistan began in 2001.

The Army "no jerks" program is formally known as "P.I.C.K. a Partner," for Premarital Interpersonal Choices and Knowledge. It encourages the marriage-bound to study a partner's F.A.C.E.S. - family background, attitudes, compatibility, experiences in previous relationships and skills they'd bring to the union. It also advises the lovestruck to pace themselves with a R.A.M. chart - (Relationship Attachment Model) - which warns against allowing sexual involvement to exceed either level of commitment to or level of knowledge about the other person.

Now there is a problem. Navy separations and divorces are notorious. Think of submarine sailors who, unlike their Army comrades in arms, have not even been able to phone home on their long deployments. Another potential problem is the Navy's service branch specialty -lawyers and litigation. The Navy would soon have to follow the Army's lead (if it has not begun already). Otherwise, well, you can fill in that little blank for yourself.

With our Air Force concentrating on becoming the military's center of excellence (COE) for religious tolerance (lead by Chaplains), the Army wants to become the COE for domestic tranquility (also lead by Chaplains), and the Navy is left with the unenviable lot of trying to become the COE for political correctness (lead by lawyers).

H/T The Sub Report: "The divorce rate among submariners (Australia) is huge - about 80 per cent."Imagine 42 men in a densely packed space for months, without privacy and no opportunity for escape. Impose rigid chain of command discipline. Then, unexpectedly introduce six women to the equation. Under pressure .... Is the U.S. Navy's divorce rate no longer the highest in the military? Fabulous, if this is true.

In my opinion, the chaplains' goals have important merit. What do you think?