Date Approved

2026

Degree Type

Open Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department or School

Leadership and Counseling

Committee Member

David Anderson, EdD

Committee Member

Ronald Flowers, EdD

Committee Member

Chad Judkins, PhD

Committee Member

Sharon Korth, PhD

Abstract

Amid declining college enrollment across the United States, academic institutions with United States Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs must consider underrecruited populations, such as military-bound young adults, in their recruiting strategies. To support this effort, this study examined the motivational factors associated with individuals’ decisions to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. This study utilized a quantitative, correlational research design with a survey comprising multiple sections: sociodemographic variables, items across six motivational factors for military service, and a Motivation-Confidence to Serve scale. The study used data from a convenience sample of 709 respondents, including college military science students in ROTC programs at 16 colleges across four states, along with current and former service members. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses validated the study’s six motivational factors for military service: College, Money, Jobs, Military Life, Tradition, and Altruism. Among these six factors, structural equation modeling results revealed that Altruism and Military Life were the strongest predictors of respondents’ Motivation-Confidence to Serve in the military. Although respondents highly rated the extrinsic motivational factors of College and Jobs, these factors did not directly predict Motivation-Confidence to Serve. These findings suggest that motivations for military service may operate in a two-stage process in which extrinsic factors attract initial interest, whereas intrinsic, service-oriented motivations reinforce commitment to serve. The results provide insights that may inform military recruiting strategies and support higher education institutions in refining approaches to attract and engage military-service-bound students.

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