Proud to Serve, Getting Tired: Factors in Soldiers' Decision to Remain in the US Army National Guard

Purpose: Since 9/11 there have been significant changes in how the US National Guard forces are utilized. The National Guard has been assigned increased training and deployment cycles on par with Active Component soldiers. This increase has led to higher levels of separation from service, increased mental health issues, and renegotiation of roles at work and home. National Guard members and their families generally live in communities away from military bases and services. Civilian social workers serving this population need to understand the stressors and benefits of National Guard service in contemporary culture and role conflicts that may arise.

Methods: In June 2012 at the conclusion of a brigade-wide training, all 2000 members of the 33^rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (33^rd IBCT) were invited to anonymously complete a survey about factors that positively and negatively influenced Soldiers’ decisions to remain in the National Guard. The survey consisted of a demographic section, seven Likert scale questions, and one open-ended question seeking qualitative responses. 1747 surveys were completed and analyzed. A subset of 364 qualitative responses from senior enlisted soldiers and officers was also analyzed. This subset was selected because these participants were most likely to have previously deployed and represented valuable leaders the National Guard hopes to retain.

Results: Comparison of officers and enlisted Guard members revealed that enlisted service members rated annual training more negatively than officers (p<.001), while officers were more negative about the impact of deployment on likelihood of remaining in the Guard (p<.001). Married Guard members rated both extended IDTs (3 or 4 day “weekend” trainings) and deployment as having a more negative impact on remaining in the National Guard than did non-married Guard members (p<.001). Guard members with children rated deployment more negatively than those without children (p<.001). Guard members with full time work or school commitments rated extended IDTs as having a more negative impact than those Guard members who were unemployed or had part-time work commitments (p<.001). The most common themes in qualitative responses were that the National Guard time commitment had increased due to higher training demands and this negatively impacted Guard members’ ability to meet family and work obligations.

Implications: Practitioners should be informed about the increased burden faced by Guard members and be prepared to help them and their families navigate issues like access to benefits and family and work role renegotiation. Brigades should carefully weigh the costs and benefits of extended training schedules in order to avoid decreasing unit morale and inciting higher rates of separation at the end of service commitments: As a result of this research the 33^rd IBCT struck all extended IDTS from their training schedule. At the national level, findings indicate the universal importance of benefits such as medical and dental coverage, family assistance agencies, legal counsel, and bonuses in Guard members’ decision to remain in the National Guard.  As future budgets and spending cuts are considered, policy makers should be aware that any reduction in National Guard benefits will likely lead to lower retention rates.