The Role of Recruit Division Commanders in Graduation From U.S. Navy Recruit Training

We investigated the importance of the role of drill instructors (RDCs) on training and retention of new sailors ( N =34,000). Based on social support and group cohesion literatures, we hypothesized that social support from RDCs would influence completion rates of entry-level Navy training and retent...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Military psychology 2010-10, Vol.22 (4), p.369-384
Main Authors: Lucas, Jeffrey W, Segal, David R, Whitestone, Yuko, Segal, Mady W, White, Michael A, Mottern, Jacqueline A
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We investigated the importance of the role of drill instructors (RDCs) on training and retention of new sailors ( N =34,000). Based on social support and group cohesion literatures, we hypothesized that social support from RDCs would influence completion rates of entry-level Navy training and retention intention of new sailors. We found that perceptions of social support from RDCs had a significant positive relationship with eventual graduation from basic training; encouragement to remain in the Navy was particularly strongly related to graduation when the source of the encouragement was RDCs. Further, those who attrited from training were especially likely to perceive RDCs as encouraging them to leave the Navy. We discuss the implications of our findings in terms of theory, research and practice.
ISSN:0899-5605
1532-7876
DOI:10.1080/08995605.2010.513227