Reenlistment in the U.S. Army Reserve

Abstract : This research examines motivational and other factors that influence reenlistment intentions of U.S. Army Reservists in troop program units. A mail survey was conducted in 1978 with a resulting representative sample of 892 reservists who were in their first enlistment, reenlistment or extension in the Army Reserve and who were within six months of their end of term of service (ETS). Questionnaire data were merged with demographic, personal background, and military career data for respondents and with objective data concerning characteristics of their reserve units. Reenlistment intentions were related to several demographic, background, and military career characteristics of reservists and to reservists' subjective perceptions of their units, but not to certain objective characteristics of their units. Five general characteristics of the reserve experience were identified as independent dimensions underlying more specific characteristics highly related to reenlistment intent: job satisfaction; prestige of reserve membership; social utility of reserve membership; interference-facilitation effect of reserve membership on other aspects of reservists lives (e.g., home life and civilian job); and supervisor- subordinate relations in the unit. Popularity of certain unit characteristics, existing and hypothetical benefits of reserve membership, and proposed changes in the Army Reserve were also related to reenlistment intent. (Keywords: Reenlistment; Personnel retention; U.S. Army Reserve; Motivation; Survey research; Questionnaire construction; Decision analysis; Reenlistment intentions)