Attitudes of Reserve Component Servicemembers regarding the Consequences of Frequent Overseas Deployments

The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that it will use Reserve component units more frequently for overseas deployments, for humanitarian and peacekeeping missions. Approximately one thousand Reserve component veterans, most from Ohio, were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the effects of increased overseas deployment requirements for Reserve servicemembers. Approximately half of those surveyed reported that the new requirements would pose substantial difficulties for civilian employment and family life, with reduced intentions to remain in the military or to stay long enough to retire from the military. Difficulties seemed to be more severe for family life than for civilian employment. Persian Gulf War veterans were more pessimistic about the effects of the new requirements on family life and recruiting; however, those who had remained in the military were less pessimistic about the effects of increased deployments.