the age of 36; minimum age for voluntary military service is
18 (2006)

Russia
Russia has adopted a mixed conscript-contract force; 18-27
years of age; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age;
length of compulsory military service is two years; plans call for
reduction in mandatory service to 18 months in 2007 and to one year
by 2008; 30% of Russian army personnel were contract servicemen at
the end of 2005; planning calls for volunteer servicemen to compose
70% of armed forces by 2010, with the remaining servicemen
consisting of conscripts; as of November 2006, the Armed Forces had
more than 60 units manned with contract personnel totalling over
78,000 contract privates and sergeants; 88 Ministry of Defense units
have been designated as permanent readiness units and are expected
to become all-volunteer by end 2007; these include most air force,
naval, and nuclear arms units, as well as all airborne and naval
infantry units, most motorized rifle brigades, and all special
forces detachments (2006)

Rwanda
16 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2001)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Sao Tome and Principe
18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Saudi Arabia
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2004)

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

Serbia
peacetime service obligation begins at age 17 and lasts until
age 60 for men and 50 for women; under a state of war or impending
war, the obligation can begin at age 16 and be extended beyond 60
(2006)

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

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

Singapore
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years
of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation reduced to 24
months beginning December 2004 (2004)

Slovakia
complete transition to an all-volunteer professional force
went into effect at the beginning of 2006 after 140 years of
mandatory army service; volunteers include women, with minimum age
of 17 years (2005)

Slovenia
17 years of age for voluntary military service;
conscription abolished in 2003 (2004)

Somalia
18 years of age (est.) (2001)

South Africa
18 years of age for voluntary military service; women
have a long history of military ser