ilitary service;
conscript service obligation - 24-28 months, depending on the
military branch involved; 18 years of age for voluntary military
service; some 4,000 women serve as commissioned and noncommissioned
officers, approx. 2.3% of all officers; women, in service since
1950, are admitted to seven service branches, including infantry;
excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps (2005)

Kuwait
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service
(2001)

Kyrgyzstan
18 years of age for compulsory military service (2001)

Laos
15 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - minimum 18 months (2004)

Latvia
19 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript
service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for volunteers;
Latvia plans to phase out conscription, tentatively moving to an
all-professional force by 2007 (August 2004)

Lebanon
18-30 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)

Lesotho
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Liberia
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2001)

Libya
17 years of age (2004)

Lithuania
19-45 years of age for compulsory military service,
conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for
volunteers (2004)

Luxembourg
a 1967 law made the Army an all-volunteer force; 17 years
of age for voluntary military service; soldiers under 18 are not
deployed into combat or with peacekeeping missions (2004)

Macedonia
conscription to be phased out by 2007; current tour of
conscript duty is 6 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military
service (January 2005)

Madagascar
18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - 18
months (2004)

Malawi
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2001)

Malaysia
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)

Maldives
18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Mali
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)

Malta
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2001)

Mauritania
18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - 2
years; majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers; service in
Air Force and Navy is voluntary (April 2005)

M