Bangladesh
16 years of age for voluntary military service; 17 years
of age for officers (both with parental consent); conscription
legally possible in emergency, but has never been implemented (2008)
Barbados
18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger
requires parental consent); no conscription (2008)
Belarus
18-27 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 18 months (2005)
Belgium
18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
suspended (2008)
Belize
18 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allow
for conscription only if volunteers are insufficient; conscription
has never been implemented; volunteers typically outnumber available
positions by 3:1 (2008)
Benin
21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
in practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexes
are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18
months (2006)
Bermuda
18-30 years of age for voluntary or compulsory enlistment in
the Bermuda Regiment; males must register at age 18; term of service
is 38 months (2009)
Bhutan
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)
Bolivia
18-49 years of age for 12-month compulsory military service;
when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory
recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as
14; 15-19 years of age for voluntary premilitary service, provides
exemption from further military service (2009)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
18 years of age for voluntary military
service; conscription abolished January 2006; 4-month service
obligation (2009)