▁years ▁of ▁age , ▁and ▁ 1 8 ▁years ▁of ▁age ▁for ▁comp uls ory ▁military ▁service ▁upon ▁gradu ation ▁from ▁secondary ▁school . ▁Cons cript ▁service ▁oblig ation ▁was ▁ 2 ▁years ▁as ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁ ▁History ▁After ▁an ▁ab orted ▁mut iny ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁the ▁existing ▁army ▁was ▁dis band ed . ▁The ▁new ▁force ▁was ▁titled ▁the ▁' T ang any ika ▁Military ▁Force ', ▁from ▁ 2 5 ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁- ▁ 2 6 ▁April ▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁The ▁T anz an ian ▁government ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁former ▁British ▁model ▁was ▁not ▁appropriate ▁for ▁the ▁needs ▁of ▁an ▁independent ▁African ▁state . ▁F resh ▁rec ruits ▁were ▁s our ced ▁from ▁the ▁Tang any ika ▁African ▁National ▁Union ▁youth ▁wing . ▁After ▁the ▁merge ▁of ▁Tang any ika ▁and ▁Z anz ib ar , ▁the ▁force ▁was ▁renamed ▁the ▁United ▁Republic ▁Military ▁Force ▁from ▁ 2 7 ▁April ▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁▁ ▁For ▁the ▁first ▁few ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁T PDF , ▁the ▁army ▁was ▁even ▁smaller ▁than ▁the ▁dis band ed ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁strong ▁Tang any ika ▁R if les , ▁the ▁air ▁force ▁was ▁min usc ule , ▁and ▁no ▁n avy ▁had ▁yet ▁been ▁formed . ▁It ▁appears ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁T PDF ▁had ▁three ▁batt al ions ▁by ▁August ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁station ed ▁at ▁Nach ing