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JESSICA MADOR: With her husband Freddy's deployment just weeks away, Jenny Munoz is already resigned to what's coming. Soon, life will take on a familiar rhythm. Long days of work and responsibilities at home. Late night phone calls and emails and constant worry. The 29-year-old approaches this deployment with the stoicism of an experienced military wife.

JENNY MUNOZ: I don't think it's really set in with me yet. And it's nice to have him home. But it's making it more difficult to adjust to it, if that makes sense.

JESSICA MADOR: Unlike many of the other National Guard soldiers deploying in May, Freddy's already partially deployed. That's because it's his job to ship everything for his battalion, the Brainerd-based one of the 194 Armor. So the 31-year-old soldier, who's also a police officer, is already living apart from his wife during the week and coming home just on weekends.

After training in the US, he'll join the First Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division in Kuwait. The so-called Red Bulls will be stationed there, providing security and running convoys into and out of Iraq. This will be Freddy's second time in Iraq. He served there during the surge on an extended deployment.

FREDDY MUNOZ: December 1, 2005 through July 17, 2007, I saw my wife a total of one month.

JESSICA MADOR: Being apart for that long wasn't easy. And Jenny says things got even worse when Freddy finally got home.

JENNY MUNOZ: It was a long time for us to figure out how to live together again and get used to each other and compromise.

JESSICA MADOR: Adjustment problems are common among service members returning from combat deployment. For most soldiers, the problems are short term. But they're still tough on relationships.

The Minnesota National Guard doesn't keep statistics on divorce rates. But according to the Pentagon, the divorce rate among military members overall has risen since 2001. The military's ramped up programs designed to address the disruptions and stress multiple deployments can cause for families and children. The Munozes are taking advantage of similar programs before Freddy's deployment. With the family dog underfoot, the Munozes are packing for a weekend marriage retreat for military families in outstate Minnesota.

JENNY MUNOZ: I don't mind packing for a weekend. I get tired of packing to move.

JESSICA MADOR: Since getting married in 2003, the Munozes have moved at least eight times, not including deployments.

FREDDY MUNOZ: Did you pack up yet, Jen? Do you want to come grab your stuff?

JESSICA MADOR: With the suitcases packed and ready to be loaded into the car, Freddy says the marriage retreat was his idea. He wants to prevent the kinds of issues they had when he got home from his last deployment. He says he had trouble compromising with his wife.

FREDDY MUNOZ: Mine was more or less of this is all it's going to get done. That's it.

We're going to do on this time. That's it. And it was really hurting our relationship.

JENNY MUNOZ: We didn't know how to live together.

JESSICA MADOR: They're hoping the weekend retreat will help. But they can't control the timing of their pending adoption. They were hoping it would be finalized before Freddy's unit deployed. But now it looks like it won't go through until Freddy's already in the Middle East. If that happens, Jenny will have to shepherd their new children into the family all alone.

JENNY MUNOZ: I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about parenting issues when he comes back, because it's going to be a long time by ourselves. And yeah, I'm worried.

JESSICA MADOR: As daunting a prospect as that is, Jenny's matter-of-fact. It's just one more challenge she'll be forced to face while her husband is away at war. Jess Mador, Minnesota Public Radio News.