Army Ups Enlistment Age--Am I Insane?

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Snake Eyes

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I heard on the radio today that the US Army has raised the maximum enlistment age to 42.

I am 41 years and 9 months old.

I am fat, slow, smoked for 25 years, have bad knees, had back surgery plus ongoing back pain, and am a generally miserable son of a bitch. I am indebted to the income to which I've become accustomed (less than 6 figures a year and I'll have to declare bankruptcy).

I also feel I owe a debt of servitude to my country. After all, she's been damn good to me.

Christ on the cross, I can't believe this. I'm thinking about signing up.

Oh, I must be insane.
 
Lone Gunman said:
Sorry, I didn't mean you in particular. If the Army has upped it age to 42, doesn't that mean they are having a hard time recruiting younger guys?
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Bada BING!
 
Life expectancy has gone way up since the current limits were set.

Snake Eyes, with your surgical history, they won't take you. If you really want to give back to your country, volunteer two afternoons every month at a local VA facility. Your time spent would be invaluable to the vets.
 
Younger and older men were called up; of an army of 4,270,000 men in December 1943, more than a million and a half were over thirty-four years old; in the 709th Division, on the Cotentin Peninsula, the average age was thirty-six; in the Wehrmacht as a whole the average age was thirty-one and a half (in the U.S. Army the average age was twenty-five and a half). Meanwhile, the classes of 1925 and 1926 were called up.
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-Stephen Ambrose

He is referring to the age of the average Wermacht soldier in WWII (31 1/2)and then the US Army average age of 25 1/2.

I think it is average age of 19 today in the US Army.
 
And, by 1945, the Russians were drafting at 15 and 16. They were scraping the bottom of the barrel. That's usually a sign of desperation. At least the US Army is taking in volunteers, not drafting anyone.
 
Hey, there's hope for me yet.

Do you think they could use a 42 years 4 months slightly (?) overweight ex- Australian Corporal with dicky knees?

I got two teenage daughters and this house is getting rowdy!
 
If your skills that earn you 6 figures are something the Army can use...then yes, it might be good to serve your country.

If your civilian profession is either not in the Army, or you wouldn't be able to enlist into it....then I'd recommend serving your country by helping both it and the economy with you 6 figure income and taxes and any jobs you may provide if you are an employer. The Army doesn't need you that bad as an infantry private or any other entry skill. I would think losing you to the civilian professional world at this point would be a net defecit to society.

Just my 2 cents. The Army/military is a better win/win scenario for young folks. Skills, confidence and college $$$.
 
Thank you for considering service

Your not insane, but I don't think it's a good idea.
Basic training would be brutal for you, it's meant to change
young men into soldiers by teaching them respect and ...a few other things like that.

You already have qualities they need to learn, like honor,courage and respect.

If you do decide talk to the recruiter a lot so you get into a suitable mos...I don't think you should join but if you do, good luck.

I lost a friend over in Iraq, a gifted young man named Sam "Trout" Barbetta...I sometimes really choke up because I told him Airborne was..."cool"...and now he's...dead...

Another friend of mine was going to go back and I talked him out of it.
I've heard our fighting men have to write an incident report every time they fire their weapon.
Murtha and his cronies declared those Marines were "cold blooded murderers"
and too many of our men are in the brigg getting treated worse then the enemy in club gitmo.

We need to kill people and break things, not run a war like it's a police or even worse a mall ninja operation with a bigger budget.

I am loathe to go to war, I've met lots of Iranians and Lebabnese, my last doctor was lebenese & I trust him with my life....I've never met an Iranian that I didn't really like. Every single Iranian I have met has been either smarter or more artisic or just plain nicer then I myself am...

We should not rush to war in the middle east, but if we do end up in a war we have to win, or not fight at all.

I am tired of our CIC holding hands with the Saud's and another friend of mine
(E7 Infantry) when asked about the quality of the officers over there said they were all like Kerry, looking to get a combat medal and leave in 2 months while he's stuck over there for a year or so...only he used so many swear words Arts Granny would ban me if I repeated them...

If our officers were standing behind the men they send into the fray, if the CIC would stand up to murtha and call them hero's and not be so quick to judge the whole lot as "murderers" I would say join.
our officers are to quick with CYA and are more interested in politics and advancement...I say winning is far more important.
 
You still have to pass the physical tests. If you can't do the PT they just won't take you.
 
I did my basic a few decades ago at the age of 17. We ran with a steel pot, boots, fanny pack, weapon, often in the sand...thought I was gonna die.
I know that basic is easier today, but 42 seems to be pushing the issue.

Biker
 
I'd go again

Yeah, well, I'm 49 and ready to go back.

Jeez, with prior service and a college degree now, maybe they'd send me to OCS. All I gotta do now is find my Governer to cut a waiver to get into the Guard or get a Presidential waiver to re-up, right? I mean, rules are rules, but there's always a clause for executive override....

I'm serious. Anybody know how this works?
 
Desperation is when you dont have a choice of whether to join or not. And believe me, there are plenty of 18 year olds left.

They are allowing in 42 year olds because there are a lot of 42 year olds with valuable skills they need like piloting, repair, training, etc. If you have a use for someone, not allowing them to volunteer is stupid, regardless of their age. A 32 year old coworker of mine joined the AF a few years ago and is probably flying choppers by now.
 
If our officers were standing behind the men they send into the fray, if the CIC would stand up to murtha and call them hero's and not be so quick to judge the whole lot as "murderers" I would say join.
our officers are to quick with CYA and are more interested in politics and advancement...I say winning is far more important.
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Bit of a broad brush there, Gunsmith. I think you should separate "officers" from "political leaders." The officers I work with daily are some of the finest leaders I've ever known, who would go to Hell and beyond for their subordinates. Are you speaking from personal experience? :scrutiny:

TC
 
I turned 24 in Army Basic Training way back when. I was considered the "Old Man" of my unit. However, the difference between 24 and 17 or 18 was the fact that I had enough life experience and maturity to know that the Drill Sergeants didn't hate me personally (OK, maybe one did, since he couldn't figure out how a raw recruit could enter Basic as an E-4), and that I could do anything for a couple of months.

Except for the fact that the M60 tank accident that ended my military career and medically retired me after 5 years precludes me from doing the type of calisthentics and running that basic training requires, I could probably do it all over again past age 50.

If one is in decent physical shape there is no reason why they couldn't survive and thrive in Basic Training at age 42.
 
I checked into the Border Patrol a few years ago while I was thinking of a second career after the Coast Guard and the maximum age is 38 for entry. That bummed me out because at 41 I can outrun 26 of the 31 youngsters at my station.
 
Oleg Volk said:
And, by 1945, the Russians were drafting at 15 and 16. They were scraping the bottom of the barrel. That's usually a sign of desperation. At least the US Army is taking in volunteers, not drafting anyone.
Click to expand...

I read that something like 75% of men born in the year 1924 (or so) died in the war, and that after, Stalin encouraged them to have children with multiple women, even if they were not married to them.
 
Check The Law

If I have time later on I'll try to find it for you, but I remember reading somewhere that if a person has had prior honorable service, he(or she) can re-up to the age of sixty-something.

Woody
 
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