You only get one chance to make a first impression a quantitative analysis of division officer fleet experiences on surface warfare officer retention

Abstract

This thesis utilizes Bureau of Naval Personnel data to examine the determinants of Surface Warfare Officer retention through the department head decision point in Year Groups 1993-1997. The retention model includes demographic and background variables in order to isolate the effects of variables that serve as proxies for job satisfaction: initial homeport, initial ship type, and initial shipboard department. Logit modeling illustrates that the following characteristics improve an officerâ s chance of remaining in the Surface Navy: male, married or divorced with children, prior enlisted, Officer Candidate School officer, biological sciences major, Year Group 1996, initial homeport of Norfolk or Little Creek, and transferred from a non-cruiser/destroyer (CRUDES) ship to a CRUDES ship during the division officer tours. Conversely, officers with these characteristics are least likely to continue their careers in the Surface Navy: female, single without children, not prior enlisted, Naval Academy or Reserve Officer Training Corps graduate, business or economics major, Year Group 1993 or 1994, initial homeport in the Pacific Northwest, and no CRUDES experience. The thesis recommends that the Navy should examine the retention issue not only in monetary terms but also with emphasis on the influence an officerâ s fleet experiences have on his or her stay/leave decision.