The IDF stands for Israel Defense Forces, which is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and the Israeli Navy. The IDF was formed on May 26, 1948, and began to operate as a conscript military, drawing its initial recruits from the already-existing paramilitaries of the Yishuv. Since its formation, the IDF has participated in every armed conflict involving Israel. The IDFs mission is to "defend the existence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state of Israel. To protect the inhabitants of Israel and to combat all forms of terrorism which threaten the daily life". Military service is compulsory for Jews and Druze, both men and women, and for Circassian men. Other Israeli Arabs, religious women, married individuals, and those deemed unfit medically or mentally are exempt from compulsory military service. Regardless of those exemptions, many of those exempt from military service do volunteer to serve in the Israel Defense Forces.