Army Requests Recruitment Age Be Lifted to 42

[Lemur]

Well, if this goes through a lot of us old fogies will have a shot at joining in the GWOT. What's interesting is that the request would apply to all branches of the military -- so you could have a 42 year old enlisting in the Marine Corps. Bad idea? Good idea?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Uncle Sam wants you – even if you’re 42 years old

By Rick Maze
Army Times staff writer

The Defense Department quietly asked Congress on Monday to raise the maximum age for military recruits to 42 for all branches of the service.

Under current law, the maximum age to enlist in the active components is 35, while people up to age 39 may enlist in the reserves. By practice, the accepted age for recruits is 27 for the Air Force, 28 for the Marine Corps and 34 for the Navy and Army, although the Army Reserve and Navy Reserve sometimes take people up to age 39 in some specialties.

The Pentagon’s request to raise the maximum recruit age to 42 is part of what defense officials are calling a package of “urgent wartime support initiatives” sent to Congress Monday night prior to a Tuesday hearing of the House Armed Services military personnel subcommittee.

At that hearing, David S.C. Chu, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said he felt the military’s recent problems with recruiting were improving, but that additional incentives would help.

Chu mentioned the age change in passing during the hearing but gave no other details, such as whether any of the services were seriously considering recruiting 42-year-olds.

Most of the initiatives in the package were previously requested by the Bush administration as part of the 2006 defense budget, which is pending before Congress. They include raising the maximum re-enlistment bonus to $90,000; maximum hardship duty pay to $750 a month; special pay and incentive bonuses for nuclear qualified officers to $30,000; assignment incentive pay to $3,000; and increasing accession and affiliation bonuses for reservists.

The request, not yet approved by the White House, also asks lawmakers to revise some benefits proposals already before Congress.

For example, the Bush administration originally asked Congress to increase enlistment bonuses to $30,000, but the Pentagon now wants bonuses of up to $40,000.

The administration also asked for an Army-only test of a $1,000 referral bonus that would be paid to current soldiers if they get someone to enter the Army and make it through basic and advanced training. Now, the Pentagon wants that payment to be $2,500.

The request also includes a new Army initiative that officials are calling the Army Home Ownership program. It would set aside money for new recruits that could be used to buy a home at the end of an enlistment, an idea that Army officials believe will help convince parents and other “adult influencers” of service-age youths about the benefits of joining the military.

Lawmakers are sympathetic to the need to do more. Rep. John McHugh, R-N.Y., said he is willing to look at new pay-and-benefits initiatives, although he personally believes that what the Pentagon needs is an increase in personnel to cut the workload on active and reserve service member.

Rep. Vic Snyder of Arkansas, the subcommittee’s ranking Democrat, also vowed to help.

“Recruitment is a challenge right now,” Snyder said. “Both the military and Congress are working on solutions, but I expect these challenges will be with us for some time. Military service is honorable and can be a real growing opportunity for a young man or woman.”

[Ronin]

can the majority of 42 year old´s even survive marine boot camp?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

My dad could have, although 15 years on he's got a bad back, knees and shoulder.

In Britain the maximum age is something like 27. I guess its all part of the downsizing thing.

[Proletariat]

This only makes sense at a time when over health of this age group has greatly increased. Retirement ages and life expectancy have both increased dramatically over the last few decades, so a raise on the military's cap is just common sense.
These people would still have to pass all of the normal physical requirements, so who cares what age they are?

[Xiahou]

This only makes sense at a time when over health of this age group has greatly increased. Retirement ages and life expectancy have both increased dramatically over the last few decades, so a raise on the military's cap is just common sense.
These people would still have to pass all of the normal physical requirements, so who cares what age they are?

Bingo. It's a volunteer force- if you're and good health, able to perform the required tasks and willing to sign up... then hat's off to ya.

[Moros]

Getting desperate are we?

Good.

[drone]

can the majority of 42 year old´s even survive marine boot camp?

I doubt I could, but it might be the only way I'd manage to lose these extra 10 pounds. Would I be allowed to wear a knee brace the whole time?

Not really sure what the point of this is. I know they are not meeting the recruitment quotas, but this can't be cost effective. I would think that you would get more dropouts and medical problems with older recruits, and they won't have that invincible mentality young kids have and new troops need. I guess if someone is willing to give it a go, he/she may as well get the chance though.

If they really want troops to fight an unpopular war, there is really only one way to go about it. It rhymes with daft and is synonymous with political suicide.

[Lemur]

I could probably survive boot camp, emphasis on the "probably" part. I wonder if there are enough fit under-43-year-olds to make this a meaningful bump in recruitment? Does anybody think this will mean a jump in numbers?

[Devastatin Dave]

I think its great.

[IrishArmenian]

Its because the general American youg person does not want to be part of the Military. I have no clue why, besides the administration they have. Such a shame.

[Mithras]

Its because the general American youg person does not want to be part of the Military.

Quite a lot of people don't fancy the idea of getting their brains blown out for a somewhat vague cause. Hell I'm not to keen on the idea if the enemy was 100% pure unrefined evil and they'd invaded an innocent country full of puppies and kittens.