Quality of Life (QOL) in the U.S. Marine Corps: The Validation of a QOL Model For Predicting Reenlistment Intentions

Abstract

The all-volunteer status of the military, combined with an increasing desire to employ individuals with the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform highly sophisticated tasks, has intensified competition between military and private sector organizations attempting to attract and retain qualified personnel. In an effort to remain competitive with employers in the private sector labor market, U.S. military organizations have directed their attention to various personnel support programs aimed at meeting the needs of servicemembers and contributing to their overall quality of life. More specifically, these military services have focused on the development and validation of conceptual models that link quality of life to desired military outcomes, including personnel retention, readiness, and performance. This study extended recent quality of life research efforts by determining the applicability of a model developed and validated for Navy personnel to another branch of the military, the U.S. Marine Corps. Structural equation modeling results suggested that the Navy model provided an adequate fit to the Marine Corps data for each of the subgroups considered. Results and implications are discussed.