To all males leaving to Mexico

Yesterday I learned I have to register for military service. This has to be done before my 18th birthday, luckily I am going to do this in time. After you register, you will be told whether you have to do community service or you don't have to do anything, it's all based on luck.

IF YOU DON'T DO THIS, YOU CAN'T WORK, GET YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE, VOTE, OR EVEN LEAVE THE COUNTRY.

Be prepared to have an excuse if you were born before 1993.

I am a male, I am Mexican, and I left to Mexico 3 years ago.

I never got my military service done. I have a good job, drivers license, passport, vote, got married.

You probably need it for *something* (Perhaps govt jobs?) but not for all the stuff you listed.

Hmmmm...I wonder how that happened...that's not what the brochure and what one of the family members told me...

Its pretty simple.

Look at the requirements for the IFE, the military service thing isn't required. Same for your passport. Once you have those two, you can practically do anything.

When I got my job they asked me if I had the military service and I told them I didn't. The employeer asks to make sure you won't be leaving them hanging if you want to start the military service.

It used to be requiered for the passport and to get married, it is not anymore.

As of 2011[update], all males reaching eighteen years of age must register for military service (Servicio Militar Nacional, or SMN) for one year, though selection is made by a lottery system using the following color scheme: whoever draws a black ball must serve as a "disponibility reservist", that is, he must not follow any activities whatsoever and get his discharge card at the end of the year. The ones who get a white ball serve Saturdays in a Batallón del Servicio Militar Nacional (National Military Service Battalion) composed entirely of one-year SMN conscripts. Those with a community service interest may participate in Literacy Campaigns as teachers or as physical education instructors. Military service is also (voluntarily) open to women. In certain cities, such as Mexico City and Veracruz, there is a third option: a red ball (Mexico City) and a Blue ball (Veracruz), which entails serving a full year as a recruit in a Paratrooper Battalion in the case of Mexico City residents, or an Infantería de Marina unit (Navy Marines) in Veracruz. In other cities which have a Navy HQ (such as Ciudad Madero), it is the Navy which takes charge of the conscripts, instead of the Army.

Draft dodging was an uncommon occurrence in Mexico until 2002, since a "liberated" military ID card was needed for a Mexican male to obtain a passport, but since this requirement was dropped, absenteeism from military service has become much more common.

Also: if you choose to register or not, you won't see any combat unless you volunteer so don't worry:

Only volunteers serve in active units of the Mexican armed forces. Most recruits are of a poor or indigent background; for them, induction into the military is often seen as a source of employment and as a means of upward social mobility. Soldiers' pay is slightly higher than established minimum wages, and recruits can hold second jobs. Vocational and literacy training for armed forces personnel improves their chances of employment when their term of enlistment is completed

i had to do it for a year and it sucked balls. At least now it's back to being a requirement, and it makes me feel like I didn't just waste my time (it was a non-issue when I was getting it). Say goodbye to your saturday mornings if you draw white, it's an auto-white for 19+ year olds.

-Let us know what ball you draw

-remember if you draw the white ball, there are other community service options if you want to do something worthwhile with your time instead of standing around on a saturday without even getting a gun to play with. You can teach too

that last bit is not really up to you. It depends on the geographical location where you happen to be living at the time.

Do you think they will make me teach something that I am good at? Like english or using google when you don't know what the hell you're doing on the computer?