Anticipating Army Exit: Identity Constructions of Final Year UK Career Soldiers
Abstract: There is recent concern about what becomes of Armed Forces leavers. This is most apparent among leavers themselves and is a feature of short careers that compel individuals to find replacement jobs and lifestyles. Concern for one’s civilian future rises to prominence in the preexit period and is confronted in resettlement processes during this time. Based on qualitative analysis of interviews with twenty-eight UK regular Army career soldiers and officers, the article argues that the final year of service—though mostly a practical endeavor—is also an important time for tackling matters of identity. The work is underpinned theoretically by a combination of Mead’s pragmatism and Ricoeur’s hermeneutics and constructs a typology of preexit orientation. This is an approach that casts some doubt about the utility of projecting oneself into unknown civilian futures from the context of distinctive and familiar Army relations.
Abstract: The unique demands of military life can adversely impact romantic relationships; however, research has mainly focused on these adverse outcomes at one-time point, overlooking changes over time or potential positive outcomes. Using a subsample of 3,845 male and female military personnel and veterans from a large UK dataset, this study examined positive and negative changes in relationship satisfaction between two-time points (2007–2009; 2014–2016). Most participants reported no change in their relationship satisfaction, suggesting stability − 8% reported a positive change and 10% a negative change. Positive change was associated with being in a long-term relationship, alcohol misuse remission, and persistent alcohol misuse. Negative change was associated with the onset of mental health problems (probable PTSD, CMD, or alcohol misuse) and having children under 18. Some factors, like increasing age, childhood family relationship adversity, and mental health problems, were associated with both positive and negative changes in relationship satisfaction. This study highlights the complexity of factors associated with relationship satisfaction among military personnel and veterans, with some experiencing positive changes, as well as negative changes over time.