The military services have devoted much attention in recent years to improving the quality of military life. Quality of life (QOL) is a broad term used to described the non-monetary aspects of military living and working conditions. Housing, recreation, counselling, and medical services are examples of QOL-related programs. The research reported here examines the extent to which the quality of life of Navy enlisted personnel affects their reenlistment decisions. Identification of areas of discontent that adversely affect reenlistments can provide guidelines for efficient allocation of QOL program funds, and point out alternatives to compensation for increasing reenlistment rates. To identify QOL problem areas, the attitudes towards Navy jobs and life and the individual characteristics of first-term and career enlisted personnel were related to their reenlistment decisions. The following sections describe the data, the reenlistment model, and the results. Finally, the value of QOL research for reenlistment policy making is discussed and suggestions are made for additional analyses. (Author)
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