Assessing the Association Between Airmen Participation in Force Support Squadron Programs and Unit Cohesion: An Evaluation of the UNITE Initiative

Abstract

Goldfein released a letter describing squadrons as "the beating heart of the United States Air Force; our most essential team" and kicked off an effort to revitalize squadrons, promoting their readiness and resilience. As part of this effort, the Air Force Services Center established the UNITE initiative, designed to provide squadron and unit commanders with opportunities to leverage Force Support Squadron (FSS) activities to increase unit cohesion. Improved unit cohesion is expected to improve readiness and resilience among unit members.The Air Force asked RAND Project AIR FORCE to develop an evaluation that would assess the relationship between participation in FSS activities and unit and airman readiness and resilience. The UNITE Initiative provided the context for this evaluation. In this report, we provide a brief overview of the construct of unit 1 (or group) cohesion, describe the UNITE Initiative, and develop a logic model and evaluation framework. The evaluation presented in this report uses both quantitative and qualitative data from numerous sources to assess the implementation of UNITE and its impact on the intended outcomes of the initiative. After presenting the results of the evaluation, we provide the Air Force with policy implications and recommendations designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the UNITE Initiative. We also outline areas for future exploration.It is important to keep in mind that the UNITE Initiative described in this report was implemented prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in the United States. Familiarity with the 2019 RAND report Air Force Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Programs and Services: Contribution to Airman and Family Resilience and Readiness (Meadows et al., 2019) is recommended (but not required) background for the current study. The research reported here was commissioned by Air Force Manpower, Personnel and Services, Directorate of Services (AF/A1S) and conducted within the Workforce, Development, and Health Program of RAND Project AIR FORCE as part of a fiscal year 2019 project "Correlation Between Participation in FSS Programs, Services, and Activities and Airman and Unit Readiness." RAND Project AIR FORCERAND Project AIR FORCE (PAF), a division of the RAND Corporation, is the Department of the Air Force's (DAF's) federally funded research and development center for studies and 1 Although the Air Force does not have an official definition of a unit, we use the term generically throughout the report to represent several types of groups of airmen, including groups, squadrons, flights, and elements. iv analyses, supporting both the United States Air Force and the United States Space Force. PAF provides DAF with independent analyses of policy alternatives affecting the development, employment, combat readiness, and support of current and future air, space, and cyber forces. Research is conducted in four programs: Strategy and Doctrine; Force Modernization and Employment; Resource Management; and Workforce, Development, and Health. The re...