Techniciens en uniforme

In the navy and in the air force non-commissioned officers rarely perform the traditional hierarchical function. Most of them serve in technical jobs — as secretaries, mechanics or electronics specialists. They hold civilian type jobs, but in the forces.Did they enlist by vocation ? What is their régional and social background ? Why do some complète a full military career, while others spend only a brief period in the forces ? Two dimensions of the problem are brought out by surveys based on questionnaires. First, a socio-economic dimension, common to ail sociological studies of occupations, which gives pride of place to mobility and social success. Second, a dimension spécifie to the military institution, which takes into account its own System of values and the constraints which it imposes on its members.In many respects, the French forces constitute a closed society, but, faced with the économie and ideological compétition of civilian life, they are obliged to adapt constantly so as to retain their personnel.