The term Armed Forces refers to the organizational structure of the complex of departments that have the task of militarily defending the territory of a State from external aggression by other countries.
In Italy there are four bodies of the Armed Forces and the personnel of these bodies are classified as military:
- Italian army;
- Navy;
- Air Force;
- Arma dei Carabinieri.
However, there are bodies that are an integral part of the Armed Forces, such as:
- the Financial Police;
- Volunteer military corps of the Italian Red Cross;
- Military Corps of the Italian Knights of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
- Military Ordinariate.
In Italy, since there is no longer compulsory military service, people join the Armed Forces through voluntary enlistment.
