Unit Cohesion and Military Performance

1 Overview In the years immediately after World War II, several scholars argued, based on information collected from German and American soldiers, that unit cohesion is essential to military effectiveness. Their conclusions gained considerable influence within the military. As we discuss below, our understanding of the concept of cohesion and its relationship to military performance has evolved in the years since, but the importance of the general concept of cohesion remains widely appreciated in the military. There is little doubt that personal bonds can play an important role in combat motivation. Understanding the full meaning of the term cohesion, what influences it, how it relates to performance, and how changes in group composition affect it is central to understanding how the introduction of known gay men and lesbians into military units will impact military performance. In the debate preceding the 1993 enactment of legislation leading to the DADT policy, there was a difference of opinion among military social scientists as to the likely effects of lifting the ban. Some predicted that the presence of known gay personnel would significantly disrupt unit cohesion, while others disagreed. Accordingly, RAND's 1993 report included a review of the existing literature related to the nature of unit cohesion, its effects on military performance, and the ways in which the presence of known gay men and lesbians might affect cohesion and performance. This chapter provides an update on relevant research on these topics and discusses new topics raised in the literature since 1993. As in 1993, we focus on the cohesion-performance link because it is so central to the policy debate—indeed, it is specifically cited in the DADT legislation. But military doctrine has long recognized that unit readiness and performance are the products of an array of inputs, policies, processes, and intangible factors in addition to unit cohesion, including leadership, training, mission , equipment, and logistical support, as well as weather, terrain, and enemy char