This descriptive comparison investigates the variations in attitudes towards conscription, military, and national defense across Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. Thereby, a significant divergence in conscript attitudes along the Nordic-Baltic axis, with Finland and Sweden demonstrating markedly higher support for conscription compared to Lithuania and Estonia is identified. In Finland and Sweden conscripts perceive conscription as a vital civic duty and a cornerstone of national security, reflecting their strategic cultures shaped by historical conflicts and contemporary security concerns. Contrary, despite their high external threat perceptions, Estonia and Lithuania show lower levels of support for conscription and military service. This disparity might be influenced by their strategic focus on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) integration and diplomatic efforts, as well as recent geopolitical tensions. Switzerland having its own unique security context, there is moderate support. The research underscores the impact of national strategic cultures, external threat assessments, and conscription models on defense attitudes. Based on these findings it is suggested, that future research should explore how these factors interplay to shape military and defense perceptions across different geopolitical contexts.