Navy mothers experiencing and not experiencing deployment: Reasons for staying in or leaving the military

Seventy-one Navy mothers were interviewed and completed standardized questi onnaires before and after a scheduled deployment; 83 Navy mothers assigned to shore duty served as controls. Overall intentions to reenlist did not di ffer between the 2 groups. Women who experienced deployment were more likel y than women in the nondeploying control group to report commitment to a Na vy career as a reason for planning to stay in the Navy. Women in the contro l group, however, more often reported dissatisfaction with the Navy as a re ason for planning to leave the military. Women in both groups were less lik ely to report commitment to a Navy career as a rationale for reenlistment i ntentions in the time between the initial and final assessment. Commitment to a Navy career, satisfaction with benefits, and a perception that workday separations may benefit children predicted intentions to reenlist at the i nitial assessment. On the other hand, dissatisfaction with the Navy, concer ns about balancing a Navy career with family responsibilities, and higher c ommitment to the motherhood role predicted intentions to leave the military . Significant predictors of reenlistment intentions at the final assessment were Time 1 reenlistment intentions, commitment to a Navy career, satisfac tion with benefits, work-family concerns, and dissatisfaction with the mili tary.