sma, or France’s Appropriate Military Service, was established in 1961, and it is now a training body with an educational and professional nature, providing 4,000 young people a year from France’s overseas possessions who have encountered social failure with an appropriate, comprehensive, consistent and quick route to enter employment. The educational programme on offer is based on the clean break implied by leaving a boarding school and volunteering for a military status. In addition to providing a driving licence and training in first aid, the course has three components: human and citizen training, educational aspects and occupational training. While the military nature is a priority in contributing to success of the programme, its ultimate purpose is not at all to train people as professional soldiers able to serve in a regiment; that would misrepresent the task and lead to failure. sma is clearly positioned between basic training and continuing training, supporting integration into adult life as active and responsible citizens, with a maximum chance of success for both those who succeeded and those who were initially discouraged. In 2014, it will take in 6,000 volunteers.