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This study explores the motivations behind aspiring officers among air force cadets in varying security policy contexts. The war in Ukraine has contributed to the most serious security situation since World War II. However, the Swedish Armed Forces have still not reached the goals set in recent years regarding the number of newly graduated officers. Nevertheless, those individuals who still choose to become officers even if the security policy context has changed are motivated by something. The study's goal is to answer if there are any differences in what motivates cadets to become officers between those who applied for military pilot school and the officer training program, before and during the war in Ukraine. 

The primary aim is to investigate which factors are driving cadets the most towards pursuing a career as officers amidst evolving security challenges. The study will also investigate if there are any differences regarding the specialization one pursues. 

The data was collected through a survey research based on answers from air force cadets.

The result provides valuable insights into the dynamics of defense willingness and contributes with a description of which the most important motivational factors for cadets in times of geopolitical uncertainty are. 

The findings of the quantitative analysis indicated that one out of four groups differ from the others, which can be discussed based on the changed security situation and the salary aspect that differs between the groups. From the study, we can learn about the motivation of future officers while paving the way for further research in the field.