service; standard
obligation is 2 years of active duty and 5 years of reserve service
(2007)

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

Maldives
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)

Mali
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 2 years (2008)

Malta
17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)

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 (2006)

Mexico
18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript
service obligation - 12 months; 16 years of age with consent for
voluntary enlistment; conscripts serve only in the Army; Navy and
Air Force service is all voluntary; women are eligible for voluntary
military service (2007)

Moldova
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 12-month
service obligation (2006)

Mongolia
18-25 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 12 months in land or air defense
forces or police; a small portion of Mongolian land forces (2.5
percent) is comprised of contract soldiers; women cannot be deployed
overseas for military operations (2006)

Montenegro
compulsory national military service abolished August 2006

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

Mozambique
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service;
2-year service obligation (2006)

Namibia
18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)

Nepal
18 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of
age for military training; no conscription (2008)

Netherlands
20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)

Netherlands Antilles
16 years of age for National Guard recruitment;
no conscription (2004)

New Zealand
17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers
cannot be deployed until the age of 18; no conscription (2008)

Nicaragua
17 years of age for voluntary military service; tour of
duty 18-36 months (2008)

Niger
17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; 2-year
service term; women may serve in health care (2008)

Nigeria
18 years of age for voluntary military