Perceived job demands during military deployment: What soldiers say in Afghanistan

Military deployment is inherently demanding and military organizations have to prepare their personnel for a broad range of operational demands. So far, it remains unclear how perceptions of operational demands differ between distinct military units. Using a cross-sectional design, this study explored operational demands during the International Security Assistance Force for Afghanistan (2009-2010). A total of 1413 Dutch soldiers, nested within four types of units (i.e. combat-, combat support-, service support-, and command support units) filled out a 23-item self-survey in which they were asked to indicate the extent to which they perceived an item as demanding. Exploratory factor analysis identified 6 underlying dimensions of demands. Kruskall Wallis tests, followed up by post-hoc tests, were performed to determine between-group differences. What that was perceived as most demanding during deployment differed between the four types of units. Most notable findings are that combat units and combat support units reported the highest demands from powerlessness and ambiguity, whereas boredom and isolation on the other hand, was most pronounced for medical support- and command support units. These insights can be used in developing new training and support systems that help military personnel deal with and adapt to a broad range of operational demands

Keeping up spirits: The effects of trust in lower-level and higher-level leaders on morale of deployed soldiers

Trust in leadership is essential in high-risk work-environments such as the military. Without a willingness to be vulnerable to the leader’s directives, soldiers may lose their focus and become less prepared to respond to operational demands. The present research examined how trust in different hierarchical leaders affects soldiers’ morale, defined by his or her enthusiasm and dedication to mission goals. Dutch soldiers’ (N=1413), part of different work units of the International Security Assistance Force for Afghanistan (2009-2010), filled out a self-report on their personal morale and trust in three hierarchical leaders. Generalized Equation Modeling (GEE) was used to account for the correlation among multiple responses made per participant. Results showed that, in general, the relationship between soldiers’ morale and trust in leadership is qualified by hierarchical distance. Leaders who stand more closely to their followers have more impact on followers’ job-related well-being as compared to higher hierarchical leaders. However, taking the characteristics of the job context into account changed the relationship between leaders and soldiers’ morale. Results provide insights on when military leaders should invest on forming loser relations with their followers or when they should operate at a distance