Naval Postgraduate School

A Study of Midshipmen's Expectations About Operations Other Than War (Defense) Naval Postgraduate School

Since the end of the Cold War, the armed forces of the United States have increasingly been involved in military operations other than war (OOTW). Many service members feel these missions are contrary to the central purpose of the military and not in keeping with the reasons why they originally joined the service. Research shows that a mismatch job expectations and job realities can be a factor in reducing retention. Thus, the military?s leaders have made a conscious effort to eliminate ?message mismatch? and better align the words, expectations, and actions of their individual services. In doing so, they hope to create greater organizational credibility and personal commitment for their forces. The purpose of this research is to examine the general level of awareness, understanding, expectations and actual involvement concerning OOTW that exist among future naval officers at the United States Naval Academy and current junior officers. Conclusions about the possible expectation-reality gap among future naval officers concerning OOTW is explored. Recommendations for further research and implications for policy makers are offered to possibly decrease the gap between service member expectations and the likely operational realities of their future service.