Factors Affecting the KOREA ARMY Soldiers’ Perception of Combat Readiness

The purpose of the study is to identify the factors’ affecting the Republic of Korea Army(ROKA) soldiers’ per-ception of combat readiness at individual and platoon levels. Thisstudy sampled 753 enlisted soldiers from 32 rifle platoons deployed in the front and rear areas of Gyoenggi and Gwangwon-do provinces. A battery of ques-tionnaires of combatreadiness, platoon leader’s leadership, cohesion, and training effectiveness wasadminis-tered to the participants and 686 effective questionnaires(91% response rate)were collected. The data were analyzed in the two-level regression analysis model and the results of the analysis were like these: first, at the individual level, identification to platoon, training effectiveness, and confidence in platoon leader were signifi-cant and 19.8% of variance of combat readiness was accounted for by the variables over and above SES and education. Second, at the platoon level, perception of leadership, training effectiveness, and group cohesion were significant and 39.5% of variance of combat readiness was accounted for by the variables. Implications of the results and directions for future research were discussed. The findings of this study have many meaningful implications for military training and personnel management. First, control variables like SES and education had a significant effect on the soldier-level perception of combat readiness, however, it explained negligible amount of variance. Previous researchers who studied the combat readiness also have reported that SES and education’s effect on the perception of combat readiness was not noticeable. The result implies for the future study that SES and education need to be statically controlled in the study of combat readiness if they are not independent variables. Second, the identification to platoon demonstrated a significant positive effect on the soldier-level perception of combat readiness. The result indicates that platoon members relate their perception of combat readiness to level of identification to the unit. Social identity theorists argued that people’s self-esteem and social image depend largely on the groups and collectives to which they belong. The more they identify with the platoon, the more important it is for them to perceive the platoon as efficacious in the combat. Shils and Janowitz insisted from their study of the German Army that identification of individuals with their units and leaders is the essence of the group cohesion enabling combat units to perform military actions effec-tively. The result of this study confirms the presumed notions that an individual’s sense of belonging and pride to his or her combat unit has positive effect on the perception of combat readiness.