Source: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Samantha H. Arrington/Released

Unit cohesion provides service members with a natural support network during deployment and when returning home.^1,2 A cohesive unit is one whose members share a strong bond, loyalty and commitment to each other and the mission.³ Simply put, having strong social ties to unit members and leaders supports a unit’s combat readiness. In this article, learn how you, the line leader, can build unit cohesion and promote your unit’s resilience.

Understanding Unit Cohesion

There are four key relationships that support unit cohesion:⁴

• Service member to service member. Service members trust each other, work well as a team, and support one another through mission hardships.
• Service member to leader. Service members train well with their leader and feel like they can trust him or her to provide help when needed.
• Service member to unit. Service members are proud of their work and feel they play an important part in accomplishing their mission; or service members understand what is expected of them and feel they have opportunities to better themselves.
• Service member to community. Service members must understand they are not alone. Frequent social connection with family, friends, and peers should be encouraged. Participating in online communities, in addition to the use of email, the Internet, and other social media, can help service members avoid feeling disconnected when they are unable to reach out in-person.

As a line leader, you can build cohesion in your unit with the following five tips. By promoting unity early on, you will improve your unit’s combat readiness and its members’ resilience.

1. Prepare your unit to deploy. Keep your service members focused on the mission – not on problems back home.⁵ Keep them engaged with the tasks at hand. Encourage your unit to know the tips and share the tools with their families.
   • Real Warriors Campaign article, Preparing for Deployment
   • Pre-deployment checklist [PDF 16KB]
   • USAA’s pre-deployment tips
   • Force Health Protection and Readiness’ deployment services
2. Spend time developing camaraderie. Leaders are more effective when they direct their subordinates respectfully and emphasize the group dynamic.
   • Coordinate group meals and outings (when possible) before, during and after your deployment
   • Promote group activities like exercise to build connections
   • Build trust and listen to the experiences of the men and women in your group, to get to know them personally and professionally
   • Dispel rumors quickly and establish firm policies about them to prevent morale setbacks. Once a rumor is exposed, it loses its negative impact on the mission⁶
3. Allow your unit to grow as a team. Line leaders should create an environment that allows unit members to use their existing skills and learn new ones.
   • Allow service members to develop their individual skills, as appropriate, which in turn can develop group cohesion and enhance overall unit performance^{7, 8}
   • Express and vocalize confidence in your service members³
   • Give clear directions when delegating tasks
   • Find opportunities for personnel to learn new tasks
4. Strive for effective leadership.
   • Maintain respect by encouraging teamwork and remaining approachable as well as respectful of others⁹
   • Be aware and receptive to personal matters, including family concerns. Encourage personnel to keep their families regularly informed and up-to-date with unit activities
   • Demonstrate your service’s core values whether Army, Air Force or Navy/Marine Corps
5. Pay attention to and address stressors. By addressing stressors promptly, line leaders demonstrate leadership and support their unit’s morale. Here are signs to look for:
   • The unit faces intense hardships and lives are consistently on the line
   • Mission obstacles prevent the unit from being successful
   • Multiple deployments or extensions increase time away from home
   • Rumors spread among the unit’s family support groups
   • Service members cannot identify with the mission or its objectives
   • Members of the unit are unable to bond with their leader
   • Certain members of the unit get treated differently than others

The level of connection, trust, and support that service members have in their unit is the best predictor on how well stressors are handled.¹⁰ As a line leader, you may need the support of others in your service branch or additional resources to avoid stress reactions from worsening or becoming long-term.

Reaching out for help early is a sign of strength and shows your commitment to unit cohesion.

Additional Resources

• Combat and Operational Stress Control Manual for Leaders and Soldiers [PDF 749KB]
• Army’s Leadership in Action: Strategies for Distress Prevention and Management  [PDF 50KB]
• The Leaders Guide for Managing Marines in Distress [last accessed April 2011]
• Navy Leader’s Guide for Managing Sailors in Distress [last accessed April 2011]
• Airman's Guide to Assisting Personnel in Distress [last accessed April 2012]
• The Army Family Readiness Group Leader’s Handbook [PDF 3.06MB]
• Preparing for Deployment
• Log on to the Real Warriors Message Boards to connect with other line leaders and military personnel.

Sources

¹ Leaders Guide for Managing Marines in Distress
² A New Generation of Women Veterans: Stressors Faced by Women Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, (page 6) [PDF 229KB]
³ The Significance of Military Cohesion, (page 4) [PDF 364KB]
⁴ Pre- to Mid-deployment Assessment of Unit Focused Stability Impact on Cohesion, [PDF 368KB]
⁵ The Leaders Guide for Managing Marines in Distress
⁶ My Hooah 4 Health
⁷ The Significance of Military Cohesion [PDF 364KB]
⁸ A Leader’s Guide to Psychological Support Across the Deployment Cycle [PDF 1.45MB]
⁹ Pre- to Mid-deployment Assessment of Unit Focused Stability Impact on Cohesion [PDF 368KB]
¹⁰ Army Behavioral Health: Combat and Operational Stress General Information