NOTE: Josh didn't say exactly this. I edited his post to make it a general statement. I THINK he would agree, but please don't blame him - If he doesn't agree with the above, then cut him some slack. Blame it on me.
That said, our congregation's growth is almost entirely from the Amish orders. A very few come straight from Swartzentrubers. (Most Swartzentrubers would go first to the Old Order, then maybe "stop off" in the New Order for a time. An Old Order Bishop with whom I used to work, his wife thought that when they left the Swatrzentrubers for the Old Older Amish, that they could then have TV. This was about 17 or 18 years ago, and as far as I know, they are still in the OO Amish.) Many come from the Old Order, but not exactly. They are the children of OO Amish parents, but they themselves had never joined any congregation previous to ours. (Two of our current ministers fall in this category.) Others slowly work their way out of a very strict Old Order Amish district by first moving to another (less strict) OO district, then to the New Order, and finally to our congregation. I don't think they have this plan in mind when they start moving, just like those that move on from our congregation probably for the most part at least, don't have this idea in mind when they come. There are two brothers in our congregation who are an example of how this works. They both left the strict OO Amish district where they grew up after marriage, so they were members. One left directly from there, and was put in the ban - this was all at least over 20 years ago, and they have not been released. The other couple left first for the New Order, then later left there for an even less strict congregation, possibly directly to our congregation. They were never put in the ban at all.
What I will emphasize in all of this is the importance of teaching. Teaching that develops personal conviction, and satisfaction with less than just doing whatever they want, as long as it isn't strictly forbidden, or, for some, if they can get away with it. (Like the OO Amishman who said that he uses disposable cameras, so that he "just doesn't have a camera twice a year". Reminds me of the custom in the Jewish colony near the Molotschna Mennonite colony in present day Ukraine, to "temporarily" sell all of their forbidden goods to a non-Jew prior to Passover, with the agreement that he could buy it back afterwards. Another businessman bypassed all of that, by "discarding" all such merchandise out in the woods close to the river, then retrieved it later. Some non-Jews played a trick on him by moving it while it was in its "discarded state". And no, I'm not picking on the Jews. Our own people do this same sort of things. Are we more "At peace with God & man" twice a year than the rest of the time? Only personal conviction can deal with this problem.) "Freedom", if there is not personal responsibility and conviction taught and developed at some point, will *usually* generate a desire for more and more "freedom". Eventually this become "license".
Marylander, I have to thank you for this. 
I needed a chuckle this morning. As an unashamedly professing premillennialist and as perhaps the predominant OGBB poster on here (now that Queserasera doesn't post much), I'd be fascinated to hear about what your friend considers "militaristic views".