Effects of Preretirement Planning on the Retirement Adjustment of Military Personnel

Abstract

Retired military enlisted personnel are more likely than retired officers to find their choice of a second career to be fairly commensurate with their military work duties since officers rarely move into a high civilian managerial position. Consequently, it was hypothesized that adjustment to retirement would be more successfully accomplished by enlisted men than by officers regardless of how well they planned or how long they had been retired. A three-factor analysis of variance for unequal groups was conducted to test the statistical significance of rank, number of years retired, and preretirement planning on retirement adjustment. The effects of all factors and all interactions of factors were found to be nonsignificant with the exception of preretirement planning (p <.001). Those who planned well adjusted well, regardless of rank or number of years retired.

Retirement, Predictive Factors of Retirement and Retirement Adjustment

“…An important factor in the successful adjustment to retirement on the part of military personnel is the degree of preplanning for retirement and the involvement of family members in this (Fuller & Redfering, 1976). Planning may be an important factor in adjusting to retirement due to the fact that military employees face specific problems that require strategy and planning.…”

Anticipating Army Exit

“…41 Similarly, Fuller and Redferring positively connect active preretirement planning to satisfaction. 42 And Wolpert argues that of the 360 air force retirees, those who attended preexit workshops on employment and housing (before they were routine) enjoyed greater postretirement satisfaction. 43 In regard to specific ranks of Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer and Sergeant (Army or Air Force), Milowe claims that early service life manufactures a ''moratorium'' period that might delay adolescent identification problems until retirement.…”

Career Development: Exploration and Planning

“…In a study of retirement adjustment fo r military personnel, Fuller & Redfering (34) hypothesized that adjustment into retirement would be more success fully accomplished by enlisted men than officers, since second career jobs commen surate to their military jobs would be more avai:lable to enlisted men than to officers. A three-factor analysis of variance (for rank, number of years retired, and degree of �reretirement planning) was conducted with retirement adjustment as the depen dent variable.…”