Where is national service compulsory

None of the National Servicemen in this scheme would see active service and it was discontinued on 24 November The National Service Bill became law in late , with new powers introduced in May enabling the Government to send conscripts overseas.

Selection for military service was held twice a year and was based on a birthday ballot for year-old men. If your birthday was drawn from the ballot and you met the security and fitness criteria you could be selected to serve two years in the Army reduced to 18 months in August then three years part-time in the Army Reserve.

From until it was abolished by the Whitlam Government on 5th December , more than , men registered for National Service. Over 60, of these were called up to serve and more than 15, of them would serve in the Vietnam War. Most, but not all units gave National Servicemen Nashos the choice of active service and the majority volunteered.

As a result, 2 died in Borneo and in the Vietnam War were killed and more than were wounded. The Vietnam War was the cause of great social and political dissent in Australia similar to what was seen during the conscription referenda of the First World War. These domestic divisions over the Vietnam War saw National Servicemen, particularly those who had seen active service, in the undesirable position of having been conscripted by a selective ballot and then subjected to open disdain by some of the Australian public.

David Kelly was conscripted into National Service and served in the 17th Construction Squadron in Vietnam from — Recognition at last:. The purpose of this organisation was to seek a better deal for National Servicemen and petition for a medal recognising their service. On 8 September , thousands of former National Servicemen gathered in Canberra to witness the official dedication by the Governor- General of their new memorial fountain located in the Eastern Precinct of the Australian War Memorial.

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. In special circumstances, athletes may complete a shorter service. In March President Bashar al-Assad issued a decree to reduce the military service from 21 to 18 months. State workers evading the draft may lose their jobs. And Amnesty International has said those fleeing military service have been jailed for 15 years.

Some countries have reintroduced conscription and military service in recent years. In , the Georgian ministry of defence reinstated military service only eight months after getting rid of it.

The new system includes combat training for three months and then service as duty officers in support of the professional army for the remaining nine months. Lithuania reinstated conscription in after it was scrapped in It applies to men between the ages of 18 and 26, who must perform military duties for one year "except for university students and single fathers". In , Sweden voted to reintroduce conscription. It had been abolished in , after years. The decision means 4, men and women will be called up for service - selected from about 13, people born in This is not an exhaustive list and there are other countries around the world which also have military service and conscription.

They include:. Turkey - Conscription for all men over the age of In other nations, there is a conscription system. This is also known as a draft. A draft is where a group of people such as men over the age of 18 must sign up for military service but will not report for duty unless they are called to serve. Other nations have mandatory military service, where all citizens or a select group must sign up to serve their country.

Some nations have a combination of these systems. Armenia has compulsory military service for two years for males from 18 to 27 years old. Austria has mandatory military service for all able bodied male citizens up to 35 years of age. Since , the period of service has been six months. Conscientious objectors can join the civilian service called Zivildienst for nine months.

Since 1 January , females can join the military service voluntarily. The Austrian conscription referendum, resulted in the rejection of a proposal that would have ended conscription.

Although the referendum was non-binding, both parties in government pledged to honour the results. Azerbaijan has mandatory military service for all fit men, who are at least at the age of Military service lasts for eighteen months for those without higher education, and for twelve months for those with higher education. Belarus has mandatory military service for all fit men from eighteen to twenty-seven years of age.

Bermuda, although an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, still maintains conscription for its local force. Males between the ages of eighteen and thirty-two are drawn by lottery to serve in The Bermuda Regiment for a period of thirty-eight months.

The commitment is only on a part-time basis, however. Anyone who objects to this has the right to have his case heard by an exemption tribunal. The rights that applied for conscientious objection during National Service in the United Kingdom apply in Bermuda. The local government, as of , has committed to ending conscription, although it is likely to be phased out gradually in order to prevent the manpower of the battalion which had already seen its numbers fall below strength, from four to three companies, as a delayed result of birth rates decreasing following the Baby boom generation plummeting.

Currently, three-quarters of the strength of the Bermuda Regiment is made up of conscripts, although many soldiers, whether they initially volunteered or were conscripted, elect to re-engage annually after their initial three years and two months term of service has been completed, with some serving for decades. Males in Brazil are required to serve 12 months of military service upon their 18th birthday.

The government does not usually require those planning to attend college or holding a permanent job to serve. There are also several other exceptions, including health reasons, for which one may not have to serve. Recruits accepted at a university may also choose to train under a program similar to the American ROTC, and satisfy their military requirement this way.

Direct entrance to one of the military academies will also substitute for this requirement. De-jure the Burmese junta requires able-bodied persons aged 18 and over to register with local authorities.

In , civil servants, students, those serving prison terms, and those caring for an elderly parent were excluded from the draft, but they could be later called to serve. Totally exempt are members of religious orders, disabled persons, and married or divorced women with children. Those who fail to report for military service could be imprisoned for three years, and face fines. Those who deliberately inflict injury upon themselves to avoid conscription could be imprisoned for up to five years, as well as fined.

However, the conscription has never been activated under the military junta which ruled the country from As of , Myanmar citizens are not required to serve in military. Cyprus has compulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot men between the ages of seventeen and fifty. Additionally, from onwards, all men belonging to the religious groups of Armenians, Latins and Maronites, also serve their military service.

Before military service lasted for twenty-four months. After that, ex-soldiers are considered reservists and participate in military exercises for a few days every year. In , however, the Cypriot parliament had voted to reduce its mandatory service to 14 months and make up for lost manpower by hiring professional soldiers.

It is exempted for investors. Normal service is four months , and is normally served by men in the age of eighteen to twenty-seven. Some special services will take longer. Danish men will typically receive a letter around the time of their 18th birthday, asking when their current education if any ends, and some time later, depending on when, they will receive a notice on when to attend to the draft office to be tested physically and psychologically. However, some may be deemed unfit for service and not be required to show up.

Even if a person is deemed fit, or partially fit for service, he may avoid having to serve if he draws a high enough number randomly. Persons who are deemed partly fit for service will however be placed lower than those who are deemed fit for service, and therefore have a very low chance of being drafted.

Men deemed fit can be called upon for service until their 50th birthday in case of national crisis, regardless of whether normal conscription has been served. This right is very rarely exercised by Danish authorities. Conscientious objectors can choose to instead serve six months in a non-military position, for example in Beredskabsstyrelsen dealing with non-military disasters like fires, flood, pollution, etc.

Egypt has a mandatory military service program for males between the ages of eighteen and thirty. Conscription is regularly postponed for students until the end of their studies, as long as they apply before they turn twenty-eight years of age.

By the age of thirty, a male is considered unfit to join the army and pays a fine. Males with no brothers, or those supporting parents are exempted from the service. Former President Sadat added that any Egyptian who has dual nationality is exempted from military service and this is still in effect.

Males serve for a period ranging from fourteen months to thirty-six months, depending on their education; high school drop-outs serve for thirty-six months.

College graduates serve for lesser periods of time, depending on their education; college graduates with special skills are still conscripted yet at a different rank and at a different pay scale with the option of remaining with the service as a career.

Finland has mandatory military service for men of a minimum duration of five and half months days ; depending on the assigned position: those trained as officers or NCOs serve for eleven and half months days , specialist troops serve for eight and half days or eleven and half months, while rank and file serve for the minimum period.

Unarmed service is also possible, and lasts eight and half months days or eleven and half days. The fitness for service and the actual induction to the service then takes place at the time and place decided individually for each conscript during the drafting event. The induction takes place usually at the age of 19 but the allowed age range is 18— The delayed induction is permissible for serious personal reasons, such as studies, but induction cannot be delayed beyond The military strives to accommodate the wishes of the future conscript when determining the time of induction and the duty location, but these are ultimately determined by the needs of service.

Since , women have been able to volunteer for military service. During the first 45 days, women have an option to quit at will.