Eighty-one junior soldiers said they joined the Army for a host of reasons — with focuses on honor, adventure, professionalism and camaraderie. The Army’s recruiting command and the RAND Corporation’s Arroyo Center conducted the study of the 81 soldiers’ motivations.
Neither the recruiting command nor the think tank (the service’s only federally funded research and development center for studies and analysis) stated in their May 15 report that the study should be interpreted as representative of the Army as a whole. However, they believe the information they gathered from the 81 enlisteds — all in pay grades E-1 to E-4 — should serve as a “valuable educational tool” for senior leadership, junior officers, non-commissioned officers and future recruits.
Here are some key findings:
* Soldiers believe that family is an important consideration, as it pertains to their service careers.
* They seek “adventure, benefits and pay,” but also believe they were called to serve and have a sharp perception of honor.
* They acknowledge the “unique benefits” they get from their service.
* They are frustrated with the Army bureaucracy.
* Information they gather before joining — such as action movie plots — influence their expectations. Better and more accurate information would be useful.
The young soldiers also mentioned camaraderie. Also, reenlistment decisions hinge upon factors such as “family concerns, injuries, promotions, civilian opportunities, and the likelihood of deploying to war,” they wrote.
