The purpose of this research was to identify how important direct service benefits are to mid-career U.S. Army officer decisions to continue serving in the Army on active duty. The problem this research effort focused on was understanding how changing select military service benefits would affect mid-career Army officer decisions to continue serving in the Army on active duty. The researcher designed a survey that was distributed to Army officers attending the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) Intermediate Level Education (ILE) Class 12-02. The survey consisted of four demographic questions, six multiple-choice questions, and one open-ended question. Overall, the research results provide valuable indicators about which category of benefits influence mid-career officers to continue serving in the Army on active duty. The findings also suggest that benefits have an influence on mid-career officer decisions to continue serving the Army on active duty. The results of this research advance the body of knowledge about how changes to military service benefits effect mid-career active duty Army officer decisions to continue serving.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)