# Are there no more "warbrides" in the US military? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667 "2012-05-31T16:20:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/21 "2012-06-01T01:35:03Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > 😛 fixed [Moderator Note] **drewder** , it’s against the rules to change the text within quote tags while keeping the original attribution. No warning issued, but don’t do this again. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/22 "2012-06-01T03:20:09Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > 😛 fixed Sir, I would NEVER gainsay the beauty of any woman who was better armed than I. :eek: > [@Colibri](#): > > [Moderator Note] > > **drewder** , it’s against the rules to change the text within quote tags while keeping the original attribution. No warning issued, but don’t do this again. > > Colibri > General Questions Moderator I, for one, LIKED it, and, as the person whose quote was mangled in an unspeakable and un-American manner, I protest this non-warning. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/23 "2012-06-01T06:24:53Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Which hints at something else - with today’s all-volunteer military, there are simply fewer single servicemembers. The men and women serving today are older, and more of them have families. This might also be a factor in the future plans of service members. The people in the military now are volunteers who are presumably much more likely to be planning on a military career. In World War II or Vietnam, you had a lot of draftees who presumably planned on getting out of the military and resuming a civilian life as soon as they were able to. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/24 "2012-06-01T06:33:48Z")
Another related reason is because today we rely more heavily on reserve units. Reservists tend to be older and married, so there are fewer single eligible service men and women deployed. FOBs in Afghanistan and Iraq aren’t exactly like liberty in town with bars and clubs, either. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/25 "2012-06-01T15:30:11Z")
Also, isn’t it at least partly that our culture nowadays is simply less strict about tying sexual relations to marriage? Sure, soldiers have historically been notoriously lax in their relations with foreign women, but in the mid-20th century there was still a pretty strong belief in many parts of American society that if a “nice boy” got sexually involved with a “nice girl”, he damn well better marry her, irrespective of where she was from. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/26 "2012-06-01T16:00:31Z")
I would have thought that fraternisation would be forbidden since there is a great potential for abuse due to the lopsided power dynamics, especially when considering widows and orphans, something Iraq and Afghanistan have a lot of. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/27 "2012-06-01T16:10:41Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > I would have thought that fraternisation would be forbidden since there is a great potential for abuse due to the lopsided power dynamics, especially when considering widows and orphans, something Iraq and Afghanistan have a lot of. “Hey Jones, you know the Iraqi orphan girl we met last week, the one that turns 18 tomorrow? Dibs on her.” ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/28 "2012-06-01T16:18:44Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Which hints at something else - with today’s all-volunteer military, there are simply fewer single servicemembers. The men and women serving today are older, and more of them have families. but wasn’t the average age of soldiers in WWII 26? That’s what it says in the song, anyway… ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/29 "2012-06-01T17:33:07Z")
There might be hardly any Afghanistani/Iraqi brides, but a good number of soldiers still marry German, Italian, and Korean woman. I think the rules in Afghanistan/Iraq are just a lot stricter. I’m also skeptical that it’s a matter of soldiers marrying later, or being more cautious, or more mature, or whatever. I work on an Army base, and have been surprised at how many very young soldiers are married. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/30 "2012-06-01T18:31:48Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Marriage has changed a lot since the 1950s. In the 1950s, marriage was often between young men … This is news to me! ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/31 "2012-06-01T23:53:56Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > … . America is becoming less of a promised land of magic riches, and more and more immigrants are interested in staying involved with their home country. Women coming out of a war are looking forward to opportunities to be involved in shaping their nation, and they may be less likely to want to pack up and go. A young Korean woman probably didn’t have a ton of opporutnity ahead of her, a young Iraqi woman- especially an educated- probably does. Please do not speak for us. All my relations dreams of the emigration. I believe you write above your desires for these women, it is not what I know or see. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/32 "2012-06-02T00:36:04Z")
The fact is, in Afghanistan and especially Iraq there’s probably a rather limited number or women who want to do anything with American men but shoot them. And given the reputation for brutality, contempt and casual murder towards the locals we’ve earned, only a foolish women would want to be anywhere near an American soldier. People who’ll kill you for stepping out of your house as they drive by aren’t the sort who you walk over and strike up a conversation with. > [@Alessan](#): > > There are also far more female troops seeving abroad than ever before. Why fraternize with the locals when you can fraternize with them? Our male soldiers do “fraternize” with them; sexual assault and rape of female American soldiers by their male counterparts is endemic. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/33 "2012-06-02T00:57:01Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > Please do not speak for us. All my relations dreams of the emigration. I believe you write above your desires for these women, it is not what I know or see. Fair enough. I was working last week with a young Iraqi journalist, and she was cautiously optimistic about the role she could play in the future of her country. But she’s just one person, and probably has exceptional circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/34 "2012-06-02T09:47:11Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > “Hey Jones, you know the Iraqi orphan girl we met last week, the one that turns 18 tomorrow? Dibs on her.” “Yeah Smith, she is ready to offer…companionship… in return for protection and food.” ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/35 "2012-06-02T12:49:29Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > “Yeah Smith, she is ready to offer…companionship… in return for protection and food.” \<3 ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/36 "2012-06-02T13:58:10Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > \<3 ??? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/37 "2012-06-02T14:41:24Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > 1. There is no alcohol… nuf said Allegedly > [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > FWIW, we are not allowed to fraternize with them, either. Allegedly I know you’ve been in long enough to see the relaxing of certain attitudes about sex. During my first deployment (to a non-combat zone) married couples weren’t allowed to live together or have conjugal visits. My next deployment to Iraq married couples were put in the same CHUs on the FOB. And no one cared about relationships as long as neither were married and they were of equal rank and out of each others chain of command. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/38 "2012-06-02T22:50:32Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > The fact is, in Afghanistan and especially Iraq there’s probably a rather limited number or women who want to do anything with American men but shoot them. And given the reputation for brutality, contempt and casual murder towards the locals we’ve earned, only a foolish women would want to be anywhere near an American soldier. People who’ll kill you for stepping out of your house as they drive by aren’t the sort who you walk over and strike up a conversation with. > > Our male soldiers do “fraternize” with them; sexual assault and rape of female American soldiers by their male counterparts is endemic. Hate speech alert. You do not have a clue about what you are talking about. Please confine your opinions to MSDNC which no one pays any attention to ---
**Author:** ![gunnergoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e95f7d/32.png) [@gunnergoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gunnergoz)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/39 "2012-06-03T00:24:59Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Hate speech alert. You do not have a clue about what you are talking about. Please confine your opinions to MSDNC which no one pays any attention to Pot calling the kettle black? ---
**Author:** ![cynyc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@cynyc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cynyc)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667/40 "2012-06-03T02:43:18Z")
I love this question and I haven’t even read the thread. I just want to say t hat, say, WW2 military history buffs don’t know squat if the don’t know about War Brides and their significance and the boat lifts and drain on resources and wedding gowns made out of parachutes and so on. In fact I believe there is a book with this title. Further irony is I spent some time this evening inspecting a wedding gown from no doubt a WW2 marriage… Just saying. Military buffs are welcome to PM me. I’ve just been busy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-no-more-warbrides-in-the-us-military/623667.md?page=3)