citizen soldier
Part-time military member
A citizen soldier is an ordinary civilian who serves in the military during wartime or emergency but returns to civilian life afterward—distinguished from professional career soldiers.
The term evokes democratic ideals of citizens defending their community rather than relying on a standing army: The minutemen were citizen soldiers who left their farms to fight.
National Guard members and reservists embody the modern concept.
- militiaNon-professional armed force
- reservistPart-time military member
- army reserveSupplementary mobilizable ground forces
- minutemanInstantly deployable colonial soldier
- patriotDevoted country supporter
volunteer · part time · weekend warrior · guard · veteran · homeland · home front · duty · musket · weekend · warrior · national guard · drafted · service · uniform · civilian · defense · sacrifice
- Military Reservesreservist, reservists, reserve unit, reserve units, Army Reserve
- militiamilitia, colonial militia, state militias, minutemen, militia training
- Patriotspatriot, Paul Revere, Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, founding father
- conscriptionconscription, conscript, conscripts, draftee, draftees
- insurgentsinsurgent, guerrillas, guerrilla, rebel, resistance fighters
- recruitsrecruit, new recruit, raw recruit, draftee, conscript
citizen soldierprofessional soldier
Paid military career person
career soldier · regular army · standing army · lifer · regular
citizen soldiermercenary
Soldier fighting for pay
soldier of fortune · hired gun · condottiero · sellsword · private military contractor
citizen, soldier, citizens, citizenship, citizenry, soldiers, soldiery, soldiering, soldiered