Armed Forces of Shoassau
| Armed Forces of Shoassau | |
|---|---|
 Shoassauan soldiers on parade during National Day, Grand King Day, February 6th | |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 19 years of age for male compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service; |
| Conscription | 19–34 years of age (males only) 40 for subaltern officers, 50 for staff officers and higher |
| Available for military service | 1,852,580 males, age 18–49 (2009 est.), 1,807,667 females, age 18–49 (2009 est.) |
| Fit for military service | 1,510,259 males, age 18–49 (2009 est.), 1,475,993 females, age 18–49 (2009 est.) |
| Reaching military age annually | 48,076 males (2009 est.), 44,049 females (2009 est.) |
| Active personnel | 101,584 |
| Reserve personnel | 49,715 |
| Expenditure | |
| Percent of GDP | 0.68% (2018) |
The Armed Forces of Shoassau operates on land and in the air, serving as the primary armed forces of Shoassau and is made up of the Shoassau Army and Shoassau Air Force. Under the country's militia system, regular soldiers constitute a small part of the military and the rest are conscripts or volunteers aged 19 to 34 (in some cases up to 50). Because of Shoassau's long history of neutrality, the Shoassauan Armed Forces do not take part in conflicts in other countries, but do participate in international peacekeeping missions. Shoassau is, however, a member of WEDA, though they opted not to be involved in operations in Terehan nor during air campaigns over the Qahazar peninsula. The Shoassau Army is mostly based in its casern, the Centre militaire Caserne in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. The general staff is based in the capital, Staventer, the État-Major. The army is under civilian control, with the King as Commander-in-Chief. The Minister of Defense, François Belmarc, oversees army operations. The professional head of the army is the Chief of Defense, who answers to the minister and holds the rank of general.
The regulations of the Shoassau militia system stipulate that the soldiers keep their own personal equipment, including all personally assigned weapons, at home (until 2007 this also included ammunition), or in an armory. Compulsory military service applies to all male Shoassauan citizens, with women serving voluntarily. Males usually receive initial orders at the age of 18 for military conscription eligibility screening. About two-thirds of young Shoassauan men are found suitable for service, while alternative service exists for those found unsuitable. Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in basic training for 18 weeks (23 weeks for special forces).