Military


A military or military force generally refers to a permanent, professional and structured force of soldiers or guerrillas trained exclusively for the purpose of warfare. These military forces should be distinguished from a sanctioned militia or a levy, which are temporary forces, who are "called up" in wartime, composed of citizen soldiers with less training. A military can utilize conscription (the "draft") or be made up of volunteers. In some cases, the term "military" is used more loosely to refer to any armed force. The doctrine that asserts the primacy of a military within a society is called militarism.