The Characteristics of Military Teams: A Quantitative and Empirical Study of Team Characteristics in a Military Context

The assembly of warfighters into teams is fundamental to military operations, enabling the completion of critical tasks that exceed individual capabilities. Despite their importance, no widely accepted framework exists for characterizing military teams. In this study, qualitative and quantitative methods (content analysis and factor analysis) were used to identify the underlying dimensions of military team characterization. While prior research has focused on specific aspects of teamwork, such as coordination or effectiveness, this work integrates both academic and non-academic military sources to develop a unified characterization framework. Our analysis uncovered nine distinct dimensions, including both general team dimensions (e.g., hierarchical structure, team member heterogeneity) and military-specific dimensions (e.g., emotional support, goal alignment). These findings provide a framework for military personnel and researchers to evaluate and study military teams across operational contexts. Future research will expand and validate these dimensions and investigate their predictive relationships with military team outcomes.