Welcome to the U.S. Army: A Qualitative Examination of the Army’s Reception of New Soldiers

Abstract

Joining the Army, a new installation or a new unit are times of significant stress for Soldiers. Support provided during these transitions can affect unit cohesion, Soldier well-being, retention, and mission readiness. This research aimed to explore how Soldiers experience the Army onboarding process as well as perceptions of the welcome experience. Nineteen focus groups were conducted with 120 Soldiers using a semistructured interview protocol. Thematic analysis of focus group transcripts revealed two major themes, varied welcome experience and an inconsistent Total Army Sponsorship Program. Soldiers reported varied transition experiences ranging from positive, neutral, nonexistent, to negative. Results indicate that Soldiers welcome experience was dependent on the specific installation, leaders, and unit. Findings demonstrate that at the installation and unit level, the Army currently lacks standardized processes for onboarding new service members. We note the research limitations and offer several recommendations that can be drawn from the present findings.