Publication year
2001
Citation Title
Navy mothers experiencing and not experiencing deployment: Reasons for staying in or leaving the military.
Journal Name
Military Psychology
Journal Volume
13
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
55-71
DOI
10.1207/s15327876mp1301_04
Summary
An exploration on what influenced women in the military to reenlist was conducted. More specifically, the focus of this study was on better understanding factors such as deployment, psychological adjustment, and a woman’s commitment to family and motherhood. Seventy-one Navy mothers were interviewed and completed standardized questionnaires before (Time 1) and after (Time 2) a scheduled deployment; 83 Navy mothers assigned to shore duty served as controls. Findings suggested that intentions to reenlist did not differ between the two groups.
Key Findings
Women who experienced deployment were more likely than women in the non-deploying control group to report commitment to a Navy career as a reason for planning to stay in the Navy.
Women’s commitment to a Navy career, satisfaction with benefits, and a perception that workday separations may benefit children predicted intentions to reenlist at the initial assessment.
Factors that influenced reenlistment intentions in the final assessment were Time 1 reenlistment intentions, commitment to a Navy career, satisfaction with benefits, work–family concerns, and dissatisfaction with the military.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer Active Duty mothers mentoring that focus on unique military family stressors, such as deployments and relocations
Develop workshops for Active Duty mothers and their families that focus on how to maximize their benefits
Provide support for Active Duty mothers that focuses on career commitment and work-life balance
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue support for programs that specifically address deployed Service members and their need for family stability and a work-life balance
Promote recruitment and retention programs for highly skilled female Service members
Recommend professional development courses for community providers to educate them about unique factors that Active Duty mothers experience, especially during times of stress
Methods
Participants were recruited through a point of contact at the Atlantic Fleet Command. The POC identified ships with mixed-gender crews stationed in the Hampton Roads area (southeastern Virginia) that were
scheduled to deploy
scheduled to deploy
Active Duty Navy mothers participated twice (8-9 months apart) in semi-structured interviews and standardized questionnaires that addressed factors associated with reenlistment intentions.
Analyses of quantitative and qualitative data looked at differences between groups of Active Duty Navy mothers in their intentions to reenlist.
Participants
Participants met the following criteria: (a) had a child living in the same home (b) planned on remaining at their current command for one year, (c) their Expiration of Active Obligated Service would not occur during the study interval, and (d) their child did not have a significant developmental disability.
Participants identified as 53% White, 36% Black, 4% Latino, and 7% Other.
Forty-seven percent of participants were married and 40% had a GED or high school diploma, 53% had taken some college courses, and 7% held bachelor’s degrees.
Limitations
The study identified global rationales for reenlistment intentions, and although women’s reports of commitment to a Navy career were related to reenlistment intentions, this methodology did not precisely assess workplace commitment.
The number of women surveyed was small, and only with Active Duty Navy mothers; therefore, the findings are exploratory and not generalizable.
The study did not examine female officers with children; therefore, these findings may not generalize to Navy officers who are mothers.
Avenues for Future Research
Explore in more depth the factors that affect reenlistment intentions of military women and parents
Develop more precise assessments of workplace commitment among women across all military command units
Qualitatively examine factors that influence female officers with children reenlistment decision
Focus
Navy
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Seventy-one Navy mothers were interviewed and completed standardized questionnaires before and after a scheduled deployment, 83 Navy mothers assigned to shore duty served as controls. Overall intentions to reenlist did not differ between the 2 groups. Women who experienced deployment were more likely than women in the nondeploying control group to report commitment to a Navy career as a reason for planning to stay in the Navy. Women in the control group, however, more often reported dissatisfaction with the Navy as a reason for planning to leave the military. Women in both groups were less likely to report commitment to a Navy career as a rationale for reenlistment intentions in the time between the initial and final assessment. Commitment to a Navy career, satisfaction with benefits, and a perception that workday separations may benefit children predicted intentions to reenlist at the initial assessment. On the other hand, dissatisfaction with the Navy, concerns about balancing a Navy career with family responsibilities, and higher commitment to the motherhood role predicted intentions to leave the military. Significant predictors of reenlistment intentions at the final assessment were Time 1 reenlistment intentions, commitment to a Navy career, satisfaction with benefits, work–family concerns, and dissatisfaction with the military.
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