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Every soldier begins their passage under arms with a solemn act: enlistment. Regardless of the level of studies or the channel of recruitment, the new recruit will sign a document that places him or her under the authority of a unique and exorbitantly demanding regime of common law. This is because the status of member of the French military is not laid down in the French Labour Code or in the statutes governing the civil service, but in a specific Code dedicated to national defence, stipulating all the provisions for ensuring “the defence of the country and the higher interests of the nation”. However, beyond these practical explanations, the real reason is perhaps that military enlistment is perceived as something sacred. Enlistment can be seen as both an administrative formality and a legal instrument in solemn form. Some examples from history are examined to reveal this dual nature of enlistment in the West, and especially in France.