War and Commitment to Military Service: Deployment and Combat Experiences Associated With Retention Among Army National Guard Soldiers

Abstract

The present study examined career intentions in two samples—home-based or garrison ( N = 12,583 soldiers in 180 companies) and deployed and recently returned soldiers ( N = 4,551 in 50 companies). Proportionally, fewer deployed soldiers than home-based garrison soldiers intended to stay in reserve military service. Among deployed soldiers, those who reported having experienced combat trauma, having had wounded or killed someone, and having had a friend killed in combat were less likely to plan to continue military service; reservists more likely to continue military service had returned to the same civilian job after deployment. Among deployed and garrison soldiers, fewer financial difficulties were associated with higher likelihood of continuing reserve military service. Examples from the social constructionist perspective of reserve military service are used to elaborate on mechanisms in these associations.

Family separation from military service and children's externalizing symptoms: Exploring moderation by non‐military spouse employment, family financial stress, marital quality, and the parenting alliance

“…These were selected because they have been associated with adjustment among military personnel and their family members in prior research (Fairbank et al., 2018; Karney & Crown, 2007; Park et al., 2021; Scaramella et al., 2008). We further controlled for other military experiences including Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves (Tong et al., 2018) and deployments (Griffith, 2022) which have been shown to be related to family separation and child adaptation.…”

Legislation on conscription: comparative analysis

“…Instead, according to Griffith, J. (2021), «military service is a special form of civilian service, an honorary duty of every citizen associated with the performance of general military duty and service on a competitive contract basis in the Armed Forces and other troops formed in accordance with current legislation [17].…”