Army Reserve retention impact on operational readiness

Army Reserve Enlist Impact

The literature study reveals that there are various issues that influence the decision to reenlist in the reservist section of the Army. These include the influence of the job status of the reservist upon redeployment, his or her financial situation, and his or her family and other commitments.

The literature also exposed two major conflicting factors that relate to reservists; they are vitally important in the country's defence system, and reservist retention is plummeting. This presents a problem, particularly in terms of the valuable asset that may be found in the education and expertise of reservists who make the choice against reenlistment. This, along with their function as transition between the military and the civilian in potentially hostile environments, presents a crisis for the reservist sector. The nature and necessity of defence do not always allow sufficiently for recruiting and training replacement reservists.

Importantly, it has been found that reservists whose income and stature in the army is significant, accompanied by a perception of appropriate respect, are more likely to reenlist than those who do not enjoy such stature and who have personal concerns such as home and family that are perceived to be of superior importance. A related finding is that there is a large correlation between employer attitude and the likelihood of reenlistment.