Cohesion Over Time in a Peacekeeping Medical Task Force

Abstract

The U.S. military is increasingly involved in operations that require specially configured task forces that are tailored to the demands of a particular operation. Given the presumed importance of unit cohesion as a social influence on soldier morale, performance, and stress resiliency, a critical question is how cohesion develops in such units. This study examines cohesion over time in a U.S. Army medical task force that was newly constituted to serve in a United Nations peacekeeping operation in what is the former Yugoslavia. Survey data from three phases of the operation (predeployment, mid-deployment, and late-deployment) show that cohesion levels develop in an inverted-U pattern—starting out low, reaching a high point around mid-deployment, and then decreasing again toward the end of the 6-month mission. Analyses of variance comparing work groups or sections within the task force reveal group differences on cohesion, with military police and physicians highest and operating room staff (nurses and technicians) lowest. Situational and home environment stressors correlate negatively with cohesion during predeployment, whereas work relationship problems are stronger (negative) correlates at mid- and late-deployment. Boredom correlates negatively with unit cohesion at mid- and late-deployment. Regression results show that different unit climate variables influence cohesion over time, with confidence and trust in leaders paramount in the early-deployment phase. confidence in fellow soldiers and mission success more important during mid-deployment, and confidence in leaders, as well as trust that families are being cared for on the home front, the strongest predictors of cohesion late in the deployment. These results demonstrate the importance of assessing cohesion across phases of a deployment and suggest several directions for future research.

Notes

1 During the deployment, a companion study was conducted with spouses of deployed soldiers. This study used interview and survey techniques to examine stress, health, and adaptation in families of deployed soldiers as well as the functioning of Rear Detachment and Family Support activities (Adler, Bartone, & Vaitkus, 1995).

2 In U.S. Army parlance. a lock-down means all members of a deploying unit are required to assemble and remain at a given location with their personal gear and equipment, while waiting for transportation to the area of operation. Such lock-downs can last from a few hours to several days.

3 Examining Amy officers who provide support assistance to family members of deceased soldiers. Bartone, Ursano, Wright, and Ingraham (1989) found that those whovolunteer for suchdutv are at lower risk for stress-related illness than nonvolunteers.

4 Single-item measures are commonly used in survey research (Bradbum, 1969) and represent an appropriate assessment strategy for gauging global dimensions using self-report methods.

5 The two morale items were omitted from the predictor set to increase precision because morale correlates with many of the same unit climate variables as cohesion and may be as likely influenced by cohesion as the opposite. Including morale as a predictor in the regression model would distort results to the extent that morale absorbs variance from other variables that influence cohesion.