Sweden’s Armed Forces has undergone growth over recent years, following a prolonged period of reduction over previous decades. With this growth comes a need to both recruit increasing numbers of new officers and also to retain existing experienced officers to lead and command Sweden’s military forces. This necessitates an understanding of what motivates Swedes to apply to become officer cadets at Sweden’s military academy. This paper presents initial findings from qualitative interviews with officer cadets to investigate these motives. It found that cadets were primarily motivated by their experiences of previous conscripted service which had provided insights into military life and led to encouragement from commanders and colleagues who were often pivotal in influencing their decisions to apply. Participants also described the desire for a career which they felt was meaningful. Underpinning these motives, however, was also a theme of social obligation, duty and a desire to ‘pay back’ to Swedish society. This study demonstrates that recruitment of cadets onto Sweden’s Officers Programme is largely predicated on candidates’ familiarity with Armed Forces life, combined with a desire to serve society. These findings provide insights for civil and military decision-makers which may be useful in devising policy and practice around conscription, officer recruitment and broader social policy.