Conscripts are usually people forced into military service by the state, and are used in an Imperial Guard army. They are poorly armed and armoured and have had little training in war. They usually dont do well under pressure either.
They are considered the lowest of the low. The nickname 'Gun-baby' is assigned to all conscripts by other troopers. This is sometimes true however. The Whiteshields of Cadia are young men who show a good understanding of warfare, but are too young to join the normal military. They fight alongside the regular men and gain battle experience before entering military service. They are well respected among guardsmen due to their proficiency with weapons and young determination.
Conscript platoons come in 10 men, but are formed from anywhere between 2 and 5 units of 10 men, so a maximum squad could contain up to 150 conscripts. Even though they are bad at their job, out of 150 shots, at least 1 must hit the target. They can also be armed with grenade launchers and flamers as well as a heavy bolter, missile launcher or autocannon.