Military of Brazil
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The armed forces of Brazil (Portuguese: Forças Armadas do Brasil) are comprised of the Brazilian Army, the Brazilian Navy (including the Brazilian Marine Corps and naval aviation), the Brazilian Air Force, and the paramilitary States Military Police. Brazilian armed forces are the largest in Latin America.
[edit] Service obligation and manpower
The CIA World Factbook reports that the military age is 18-45 years for compulsory military service and the service obligation is for nine to 12 months. The age for voluntary service is 17-45 years, and an increasing percentage of the ranks are "long-service" volunteer professionals. Brazil's military manpower as of a 2005 estimate is 45,586,036 males age 19-49 and 45,728,704 females age 19-49 available for military service, and 33,119,098 males age 19-49 and 38,079,722 females age 19-49 fit for military service. A 2005 estimate found 1,785,930 males age 18-49 and 1,731,648 females age 19-49 reach military service age annually.
Males in Brazil are required to serve 12 months (24 months in the air force, 36 in the navy) of military service upon their 18th birthday. Most often, the service is performed in military bases as close as possible to the person's home. The government does not require those planning to attend college or holding a permanent job to serve. There are also several other exceptions, including health reasons, for which one may not have to serve.
Women were allowed to serve in the armed forces beginning in early 1980s, when the Brazilian Army became the first army in South America to accept women into career ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve Corps. In 2006, the first class of female Air Force pilots was graduated.
[edit] Expenditures
Military expenditures for 2005 were $9.94 billion, about 1.3 percent of the gross domestic product.
