This study aims to understand the factors influencing officers' intentions to remain in or leave the military organization through an interview study of experienced Swedish officers. Using qualitative methods and Battistelli's motivation theory as well as Self-Determination Theory, the study explores the driving forces and motivation of officers. The result suggest that several internal and external factors influence officers' engagement and that modern and paleomodern motivators, such as challenges, personal and others' development, the varied nature of work, and camaraderie, are crucial for their continued engagement. In contrast, external factors such as family situation, salary and benefits, and excessive bureaucracy tend to decrease engagement. The results also indicate that Battistelli's perspective needs to be revised, because of a contemporary shift of non-material motivators from the postmodern to the paleomodern perspective. The study presents an integrated perspective – a transmodern perspective – which combines both paleomodern and postmodern factors.