The article presents the results of an empirical study conducted at a military university with cadets of the first and fourth courses (40 people). The control group consisted of students of the humanities university — young men of the same age (40 people). The study was conducted using the Resilience Test of D. A. Leontiev and E. I. Rasskazova, the Scale of Existence of A. Langle and K. Orgler, the methodology “dominant motivation” by I. Y. Kulagina and V. N. Kolutsky. It is shown that the indicators of resilience, meaningfulness of life and spiritual and moral motivation are more expressed in cadets, compared to students. Features of mature value-sense and motivational sphere are considered in modern conditions as professionally important qualities of future officers.