commandeer

/ˌkä-mən-ˈdir/

Afrikaans kommandeer, from French commander to command, from Old French comander

verb

  1. to compel to perform military service

  2. to seize for military purposes

  3. to take arbitrary or forcible possession of

Civilians were commandeered by the army and forced to fight.

The soldiers commandeered civilian vehicles to help transport the injured.