Short-term international assignments. Military perspectives and implications for international human resource management

•Short-term international assignments are under-theorized in IHRM.•Dearth of empirical research in IHRM beyond the MNC.•Short-term international assignments are essential in the Irish Defence Forces.•Implications for IHRM are outlined.

Short-term international assignments have been under-explored in international human resource management (IHRM) literature and research. Equally, there is a dearth of studies on international mobility beyond multinational corporations. Drawing on an exploratory study of short-term international assignments in the Irish Defence Forces, this paper considers the implications for IHRM.