What is compulsory service in the military?

Answer 1

Many countries have a required or compulsory service period for all males. They are required to serve on active duty for a period of time, get their basic training, and then be ready to serve if called up.

Conscription, or being drafted into service. Some countries, such as Israel, still have a draft - where the government forces you to serve a specific number of months in the military. When the U.S. had a draft, the compulsory service was 24 months.

• compulsory service, usually of young men of a given age, e.g., 17-18, for a set period of time, commonly one-to-two years. In the United Kingdom and Singapore this was commonly known as "national service"; in New Zealand, at first compulsory military training and later national service.
• compulsory service, for an indefinite period of time, in the context of a widespread mobilisation of forces for fighting war, including on the home territory, usually imposed on men in a much wider age group (e.g., 18-55). (In the United Kingdom this was commonly known as "call-up").

The term "conscription" refers only to the mandatory service; thus, those undergoing conscription are known as "conscripts" or "selectees" in the United States (from the Selective Service System or the Selective Service Initiative announced in 2004).

In the U.S. the term "enlisted" is often used to refer only to those who have volunteered for service in roles other than as commissioned officers.