Soldier preferences and retention effects of changes in Army Reserve training requirements: an exploration of revealed and stated behavior

In: Research Report RR-A750-1

Abstract

Soldiers in the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) have traditionally been required to attend 39 days of training per year: one weekend per month (24 days, equivalent to 48 periods of inactive duty training [IDT]) and 15 days (about two full weeks) of annual training (AT). However, across the readiness cycle, some units may have increased training requirements, while others may have their requirements changed with minimal notice. The authors examine how changes in training requirements affect soldiers' interest in staying in the USAR and how their civilian employment and family situations influence that decision. The authors examined administrative data on USAR soldiers and units to identify past changes in unit-level training requirements and whether they affected soldier retention or transfers to other units. The authors also surveyed currently serving Troop Program Unit soldiers to gather information on the effects of changes in training requirements on their retention intentions and their preferences for different training options. In their analysis of the survey, the authors found that, on average, soldiers prefer a slight increase in the number of AT days (2.5-3 weeks, or 18-21 days) and prefer the status quo of 48 IDT periods. In addition, most soldiers prefer a weekend IDT schedule to shifting some training to weeknights and one continuous period of AT rather than splitting it into multiple periods. However, these averages obscure important differences in preferences across the sample, prompting the authors to review how demographic and service-related characteristics affect intentions to stay in the USAR