Military service

From Freepedia

Image:Vojenska sluzba.jpg Military service may refer to:

• A country's armed forces, or one of the component service branches (army, navy, air force, special forces) therein; collectively, the military services.
• The act of serving (enlisting) in the armed forces of a state or the military arm of a political organization. The remainder of this article concerns itself with the latter definition.

Types of military service

Military service mandated by a state is known as conscription. Many nations, such as Switzerland, Germany and Israel, mandate a certain period of military service, either for all able-bodied males or for all citizens.

Soldiers who enlist voluntarily in the armed forces of the United States for a specified period of time as a non-commissioned soldier are known as enlisted personnel. In the UK and other Commonwealth forces, such soldiers are known by the term "Other Ranks".

Military service in the times of feudalism often meant land tenure by service in the army of a feudal lord.

See also

• Non-commissioned officer
• Commissioned officer
• All-Volunteer Force
• Military recruitment