National Service in Ottonia

In Ottonian society, national service refers to a period of participation in either military service, the national public safety agency, or the civilian public service body. By default, all Ottonian citizens and nationals are required to complete a 24-month period of national service in one of the three branches of national service between the ages of 20 and 40. In practice, deferments and exemptions are quite common based on employment and schooling, to an extent that less than half the nation tends to actually fulfill their national service obligation, thus remaining eligible for conscription into one of the services in the event of manpower shortfalls, with particular emphasis given to the impressment of unemployed individuals and those who failed to complete Standard Education.

Due to the obligation to serve only being a soft one that many persons never fulfill, there are also practical benefits offered for service, to encourage voluntarism and reduce the need for conscription. This can include priority for nonemergency government services, the prestige and positive feelings that service engenders in prospective employers, and the practical education service often confers in certain fields, as well as the ability to have most or all living expenses covered while still drawing a paycheck.