Impact Of A Battalion Level Peacekeeping Mission On The Sponsoring Army National Guard Division

"This report assesses the impact upon the 29th Infantry Division (Light) of participating in a Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) peacekeeping (PK) mission in the Sinai Desert. Senior leaders from the nine maneuver battalions that contributed approximately 90% of the division's PK mission volunteers were surveyed (twice) and interviewed (once) to determine what training and personnel impacts their units had experienced. A stratified random sample of junior leader's/soldiers from these units was also surveyed, along with active Army readiness advisers to these units, and soldiers who had volunteered initially for the mission but later withdrew. Senior leaders reported that the opportunity to participate in the PK mission produced a psychological boost for the soldiers in their units. The mission inspired renewed pride in their units and pride in the Army National Guard as a entity capable of manning significant 'real-world' contributions to world peace. Future participation in similar missions was endorsed by all group surveyed. Positive impacts on morale and family support were reported. Senior leader reports of training impact were initially negative, grew increasingly positive during the course of the mission, and were found to be decidedly positive after mission volunteers were reassigned to their units. Combat readiness was the only area where negative impacts were reported throughout the duration of the PK mission. The return of mission volunteers, however, caused more than offsetting positive impacts in this area."--DTIC.