Conscription in Mexico

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The Military Service in Mexico (in Spanish Servicio Militar Nacional, or SMN), is made by Currently, all males reaching eighteen years, the 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, they must not follow any activities whatsoever and get their discharge card at the end of the year. The ones who get a white ball serve in a Batallón del Servicio Militar Nacional (National Military Service Battalion) composed entirely of one-year SMN conscripts. Military service is also (voluntarily) open to women. The conscripts are trained in basic combat with fire weapons, in one Infantry Battalion. In certain cities, such Veracruz and Ciudad Madero, the lottery system also includes a blue ball; whoever draws it must serve in the navy.

Their formation was caused by the attack by Germans submarines against Mexican oil tankers that were providing fuel and materials to the allies. These attacks eventually caused the Mexican government to declare war on Germany. Mexico send an expeditionary force, the Escuadrón 201, to fight in the Pacific War.