Improving Military Communities

The Department of Defense (DoD) has numerous and, in the aggregate, expensive personnel support programs. These programs are widely believed to contribute importantly to the quality of life of military members, and a good quality of life is seen as important to retention and readiness. A sense of community is a significant component of quality of life. Numerous studies have shown that a host of positive influences result from a strong sense of community, including an overall sense of well-being and fewer family problems. In a time of tight budgets and a fiercely competitive labor market, it makes sense to support the programs that provide the most return on the dollars invested. However, making such resource decisions is difficult. Which programs merit support and which do not?

National Defense Research Institute researcher Colette van Laar attempts to shed light on this question. In Increasing a Sense of Community in the Military: The Role of Personnel Support Programs, she argues that the influences that foster a sense of community can be identified and that the groups most needing support should be targeted.

What Is a Sense of Community?

The key to fostering a sense of community is determining what it is. No commonly accepted definition exists, although more than 90 have been proffered. For this report, van Laar hypothesizes that a sense of community derives from three different types of attachments: to people, developed through social interactions and supportive relationships; to work groups, fostered through involvement in similar tasks; and to an organization, created as individuals identify with the organization's values. She concludes, therefore, that a sense of community consists of two elements. One is social support—that is, an emotional connection among community members. The other is identification with the community.

How Can It Be Enhanced?

A review of the social science literature uncovers nine ways that a sense of community in the military can be enhanced.

Group symbols

These include such things as uniforms or ceremonies. The military is replete with these, but they also can be employed in family programs, e.g., sports events using team uniforms and ceremonies.

Rewards and honors

Group members who are honored are more likely to feel a sense of commitment to the group. It is important to ensure that awards are distributed both to military personnel and members of their families.

Common external threat

A common foe inherently promotes a sense of community. However, simply promoting an awareness of other groups can enhance the sense of community, e.g., by establishing sports leagues that compete against other communities.

Making military membership attractive

In part this deals with larger issues, such as pay and benefits, but it also pertains to community and family programs. Well-run ones are attractive, and, conversely, inadequately funded or poorly run programs create a negative impression.

Group size and individuality

A happy medium must be struck between too much emphasis on the individual and too little. Too much emphasis causes concern over evaluation, and too little fosters a sense of anonymity.

Personal influence

To feel engaged, people must feel that they can make a difference. This does not necessarily correlate to a direct influence on decisionmaking. A sense of personal influence can be gained simply by ensuring that individuals have an opportunity to voice concerns.

Personal investment

When an individual makes an investment to become a member of a group, the sense of identification with and commitment to the group increases.

Contact and proximity

The more people interact, the more likely they are to feel attached to one another. Proximity enhances interaction. On-base housing can facilitate proximity, but so can programs that involve those living off-base.

Group activities

Cooperation in the pursuit of mutual goals also strengthens commitment to the group.

What Should DoD Do?

The key for DoD decisionmakers is to choose among the programs that offer highest payoff in terms of promoting a sense of community. The solution van Laar offers focuses on recipients rather than programs. Not all groups within the military need the same level of support, and some groups benefit more than others. These latter groups are the ones that should be targeted for program benefits. The author identifies four groups as the most critical: military families living off-post; those recently relocated, living abroad, or in isolated areas; and deployed servicemembers.

Members Living Off-Post

Simple geographical proximity makes it easier for those living on-base to participate in programs. Those living off-base risk becoming isolated and, possibly, alienated. Thus, programs need to be tailored to ensure they include those living off-base. Such efforts need not be expensive. For example, scheduling of events could take into account travel time from off-base locations, or events could be held in the civilian community.

Recently Relocated Members

Moving is one of the most stressful events for families, and relocating tends to inhibit the development of a sense of community. Therefore, community programs need to pay special attention to the recently relocated. This attention can take the form of programs that ease the transition into the new community.

Living Abroad or in Remote Areas

Members living in these situations can easily become isolated. This is particularly true for the junior enlisted personnel, who frequently do not qualify for government housing. Language differences and cultural barriers make it difficult to fit in foreign communities. Isolated areas may have sparse populations. In these instances, community support programs can serve as a bridge between the service member and the local community.

Deployed

Deployments are also most stressful for military members. Not only do they frequently face danger as a result of the deployment, but they are also separated from their families, sometimes for extended periods. Programs should be developed both for the deployed member and the families left behind. Furthermore, programs need to be established relatively quickly.

Focusing on the groups that most need assistance means that many of these programs can be implemented at a relatively modest cost. Others involving greater costs will necessitate trade-offs among programs. However, van Laar cautions that an effective trade-off can only occur when goals are clearly understood. Clear goals are a necessary first step because only with them can a program's success be determined.

Topics

• Communities
• Military Personnel