Way back in December of last year, the age ceiling for joining the army was 35. In January they bumped that up to 40. Now they're raising the ceiling again, to 42. My favorite bit from the article, quoting an Army Recruiting Command spokeswoman:
Of course, not everyone is going to be (physically able to serve). But those older recruits who can meet the physical demands of Army service make excellent soldiers because they bring with them a maturity and a skill level that some of our young recruits don't have yet.
I can just picture some general sitting at a desk, suddenly exclaining "Dammit, the hell with strong backs and young legs! I want my soldiers to have maturity! Sound judgement! And bifocals, goddammit!"
Of course, there's also something a little scarier at the end of the article, suggesting that if the Army continues to have problems recruiting that they may have to "consider reinstating the draft." Suddenly that age ceiling doesn't look so funny anymore.
Posted by Jason at June 22, 2006 01:13 PM