Part of the Lyran Commonwealth history was that during the Third Succession War, the Lyran Commonwealth was losing battles because their support units such as regular infantry were severely undermanned. So Archon Eric Steiner invoked a strict conscription act that ordered the drafting of youths as young as 15 years old!. Needless to say this was extremely unpopular but it led to one of the more interesting series of events in Commonwealth military history.
A group of rich young people on Skye, not wanting to be "rich cannon fodder" (their term) proposed that they be allowed to form their own military unit, paid for out of their own resources in order to serve out their military obligation. Under considerable pressure from Skye "social generals" the LCAF agreed.
But the wealthy youngsters who were all members of the local yacht club paid a builder to construct six high speed armed hydrofoils. It was noted that for more than two decades they (and later their children) patrolled the lakes and rivers of Skye, keeping it free of the oppression of the Draconis Combine.
Although nearly three decades after the unit was formed the Combine did indeed invade Skye and to the surprise of everyone (including themselves) the hydrofoil unit performed well under fire. Including deploying a nuclear weapon to destroy a key dam and flooding out a Combine advance.
Back to my OP question. Does the Commonwealth still have a draft? If not when did they end it? And what about the other Successor states? IIRC about the only one I can remember that might have some kind of compulsory military service would be the Draconis Combine though I can't remember if the service is actually legal and forcible or more of a social pressure kind of thing.
