Retention of military personnel has become a top priority to military leadership. Given the investment made in recruiting and training personnel, it is vital that military decision makers understand the factors that influence the career commitments of service members. Research has demonstrated an increased interest in the influence of family factors on retention. Using an inductive theoretical approach, a model is developed to identify how and under what conditions family factors have been found to impact upon the retention decision making process of military members. This model includes these interactive variables: (1) family/work life cycle; (2) job demands; (3) community embeddedness and satisfaction; (4) marital and family interaction and life satisfaction; (5) satisfaction with military life; (6) spouse support of member's career; and (7) desirability of continuing military life. Despite the growing body of literature on the influence of family factors on the retention decision making process, a number of conceptual and methodological issues continue to plague the research and seriously restrict efforts at conceptual and theoretical integration. Despite its limitations, the model offered is based on an empirical integration of the research literature, and should have heuristic implications for continued research in this important area of policy and program research. A six-page reference list is appended. (Author/ABL)