The Family Factor and Retention Among Married Soldiers Deployed in Operation Desert Storm

The issue of organizational and marital factors that contribute to the retention and reenlistment plans of married junior enlisted and midlevel noncommissioned officer (NCO) families in the U.S. Army is addressed. The study is based on questionnaire data provided by Army spouses who participated in the Operation Desert Storm Family Well-Being Survey. Background information on soldier and family issues was obtained through mailed questionnaires that were self-administered during Operation Desert Storm (ODs) and a follow-up survey conducted 1 year after ODs. The information was used to compare couples who left the Army with those who remained on active duty. The main predictor of retention for junior enlisted families was the spouse???s unrealistic expectations of what the Army could provide as resources for families of deployed soldiers. The Army/Family Interface, a scale measuring perceived compatibility between Army life and family life, was the main predictor of intention to reenlist for those junior enlisted families remaining on active duty after ODs. The main predictor of retention for NCO couples was the spouse???s wish that the soldier either stay in or get out of the Army. Soldier???s rank was the main predictor of reenlistment intentions among NCO families, with higher ranking soldiers more likely to plan on staying in the Army. Marital problems also emerged as one of the significant predictors of retention for both junior enlisted and NCO couples, indicating that although this issue is relevant to retention, its impact is not limited to younger families.