In this study, the Tinto model of student integration is applied qualitatively to soldiers attending college. The authors found that soldiers commit to the military primarily and to college secondarily; therefore, military policies and relationships related to college offered a better understanding of college commitments than did college policies and relationships. For understanding the college integration of non-traditional students, like soldiers, this study highlights the importance of viewing higher education as part of a larger social system, rather than as a stand-along institution.