Military service

Military service is work performed by a person as a member of a country’s armed forces, either voluntarily or under legal obligation. It can involve combat, training, logistics, administration, or other military duties.

Conscription: Compulsory enrollment of people into a country's armed forces. It is the legal route into military service when enlistment is not voluntary.
Selective Service System: The United States agency that maintains a registry for possible military conscription. It illustrates how a state can prepare to assign military service through a draft.
Civilian service: Work performed outside the armed forces, sometimes as an alternative to compulsory military service. Some states accept civilian service instead of military duties for conscientious objectors.
Military pension: Retirement income paid to eligible former members of the armed forces. Length and type of service can determine eligibility for military retirement benefits.
Enlistment: Formal entry into the armed forces, usually by voluntary agreement. It is the usual voluntary route into military service.
Military oath: A sworn pledge made by military personnel to support and defend a country's constitution or sovereign. Oaths formalize the obligations accepted upon entering military service.
National service: A government-mandated period of public service that may include military or civilian duties. It is broader than military service because its obligations can be nonmilitary.
Veterans benefits: Public or institutional support provided to eligible former military personnel and their dependents. Benefits are among the long-term consequences of qualifying military service.
Active duty: Full-time military service performed under a country's armed forces. It distinguishes full-time service from reserve obligations and civilian status.
Military contract: A legal agreement setting terms of enlistment, service duration, and military obligations. Contract terms define important conditions of voluntary service.

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