Quality of Life and Job Satisfaction

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MWR Contribution to Quality of Life and Retention

Officer and enlisted data from the spring 2008 SSMP indicate high Soldier satisfaction levels (59% to 82%) with items in FMWRC areas. Except for “availability of Army child care programs,” all of FMWRC's items were ranked within the top half of all 58 items. Enlisted Soldiers ranked 6 of FMWRC's 8 items in the top quarter; officers ranked 5 of FMWRC's 8 items in the top quarter.

	Officers: Spring 2008*			Enlisted Personnel Spring 2008*
Rank Order	Most Satisfied (% Satisfied/Very satisfied)		Rank Order	Most Satisfied (% Satisfied/Very satisfied)
1	Job Security	96.8%	1	Job Security	88.3%
6	Quality of Army family programs	81.9%	5	Quality of Army Youth Services	75.4%
7	Availability of Army family programs	81.7%	7	Availability of Army Youth Services	73.4%
7	Quality of Army Youth Services	81.7%	9	Quality of Army family programs	72.3%
11	Quality of recreational services	81.0%	10	Availability of Army family programs	72.0%
12	Availability of recreational services	80.6%	13	Quality of recreational services	71.1%
17	Availability of Army Youth Services	78.8%	14	Availability of recreational services	70.3%
28	Quality of Army child care programs	74.7%	24	Quality of Army child care programs	66.7%
44	Availability of Army child care programs	59.6%	41	Availability of Army child care programs	59.1%
58	Amount of time separated from family	41.9%	58	Amount of time separated from family	34.7%

* The Spring 2008 SSMP did not include Soldiers deployed to war theaters, Soldiers who recently returned from a war theater or Soldiers who were preparing to be deployed soon to a war theater.

Trend Data: From the spring 2007 to fall 2008, there were an unprecedented number of statistically significant increases in satisfaction among officers which may be due to the Army having announced in April 2007 that forthcoming deployments for OIF/OEF would be for 15 months instead of 12-months and/or their being a “mode” effect due to officers having completed the SSMP on-line rather than paper/pencil surveys. Details can be found in the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral Sciences Survey Report.

• Statistical analysis has demonstrated that Soldier use of MWR positively affects readiness and retention.

• Statistical analysis also has demonstrated that when Soldiers and their spouses really believe they live in a “quality community” which is a good place in which to raise children, Soldier retention increases.

• MWR programs contribute to the Soldier and family having a sense of belonging to a caring military community. This reinforces the Soldier’s and spouse’s desire to choose the Army as a way of life despite the serious military stressors and strains they and their family members experience.

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