A conceptual framework for examining the role of identity in the experiences of US Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers

We present a conceptual framework for examining the role of identity in US Army Reserve and National Guard (NG) soldiers’ experiences, which integrates anthropological and public health perspectives. Based on the model of reserve soldiers as transmigrants who simultaneously occupy two distinct cultural worlds (i.e., military and civilian) and transition continually between them, we explore the implications of this unique positioning on reservists’ experiences and well-being. We expand on the academic examination of identity negotiations in and of themselves, while also moving beyond the risk-focused models that prevail in health research. We propose a multidimensional framework of identity in reserve experiences (MFIRE) as a conceptual model for examining identity negotiation in transmigrancy, as well as across multiple socio-ecological levels, enabling analysis of how identity influences and is influenced by contextual factors. We present examples from ongoing research that demonstrate the application of the framework to understanding how reserve identities relate to socio-environmental factors, overall well-being and resiliency.