Denna explorativa studie genomfördes med en flerfaldig forskningsstrategi. Empirin bygger på intervjuer och enkäter med totalt 238 officerare varav 228 var yrkesverksamma vid studiens genomförande. Undersökningsfrågorna avhandlade drivkrafter som fick yrkesofficeren att vara kvar i yrket. Resultatet av undersökningen gav att de avgörande drivkrafterna för officersyrket bestod av ett flertal faktorer vilka inordnade under Maslows behovsteori visade sig fylla alla steg i behovshierarkin. Vissa av de avgörande faktorerna uppvisade dock skillnader i viktningsgrad främst beroende av variabler som ålder och vapengrenstillhörighet, men även av variabler som motivationsnivå, utlandserfarenhet samt tidigare civil erfarenhet. Försvarsmakten utgör således en arena för en stor del av officerens totala behovstillfredsställelse. Denna arena upplevs dock för närvarande uppvisa en del brister, främst strukturella, vilket leder till en tydligt minskad motivationsnivå hos en stor del av populationen. / This study was conducted using a multiple research method with an exploratory approach. The empirical material was based on interviews and surveys with a total of 238 professional officers. 228 officers were employed by the Swedish Armed Forces at the time of the study. The survey questions dealt with the prime movers that motivated professional officers to remain in their profession. The result of the study showed the key prime movers for the officer profession consisted of a number of factors, which grouped in Maslow's theory of needs, turned out to complete all the steps in the needs hierarchy. Some of the major motivation factors however, showed differences in their weighting rate considering different variables such as age and weapons branch affiliation, but also variables such as motivation level, international experience and previous civilian experience. The Swedish Armed Forces constitute an arena for satisfaction for a large part of the officer's personal needs. However, this arena is currently perceived as having some deficiencies, mainly structural ones, leading to a clearly reduced level of motivation in a large part of the population.