Young professional military officers' experience of their internal career development was studied longitudinally from a life-span, life-space approach. Significant transitions between the life roles of worker, student and leisurite, with concomitant changes in their value system, away from traditional military values towards occupationalism, were confirmed. Gender differences were found for the work and community roles as well as in the developmental patterns of the need for authority, creativity, cultural identity, physical activities, social relationships and variety. Significant differences between the career development profiles of military and civilian students with regard to life roles were revealed.