Military volunteer

A military volunteer chooses to serve in a country’s armed forces rather than being compelled through conscription. Voluntary service may be full-time, part-time, or limited to a particular conflict.

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Conscription: Compulsory enrollment of people into military service by a state. It compels service that military volunteers choose.
Military enlistment: The formal process by which a person joins a country's armed forces. It is the usual route by which a volunteer enters military service.
Professional army: A standing military force made up of people who serve as a career or paid occupation. Volunteer service has often supplied the personnel of professional armies.
All-volunteer force: A military whose personnel serve voluntarily, without routine conscription. It makes voluntary service the basis of the entire military.
Military recruitment: The process by which armed forces attract and enroll personnel. Volunteer forces depend on recruitment rather than compulsory assignment.
Military draft: A system that selects people for compulsory military service. Drafted personnel serve without the choice that defines volunteering.
Military oath: A formal pledge of allegiance or service made by members of a country's armed forces. The oath marks a volunteer's formal commitment to military service.
New Model Army: The English Parliament's standing army established in 1645 during the English Civil War. Its organized, paid soldiers exemplified an early modern professional force.
Reserve forces: Military organizations whose members combine civilian lives with part-time service and may be mobilized. Many volunteers serve part-time in reserve units.
Recruitment crisis: A severe shortfall in people willing or eligible to join an organization. A recruitment crisis can leave a volunteer military short of personnel.