National service is a common name for a system of either compulsory or voluntary government service (usually
military service, also known as
conscription). The term became standard British usage after the
National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939 and has been applied to such voluntary enrolments as the US
Peace Corps. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes. Compulsory military service typically requires all male citizens to enroll for one or two years, usually at age 18 (later for college-level students), while Voluntary national service requires only 3 months of basic military training. The US equivalent is
Selective Service.