re: The U.S. Army is raising its maximum enlistment age to 42

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This is why straight out of high school everyone should have to do two years in the military

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I would be on board with something like the CCC but the last thing the military needs is to have to deal with ALL the frickups there are plenty as it is. One of the worst things that happened to the military was back when judges gave young frickups the option of the military or jail. It was probably good for some of them, but a big net negative for the military.

Older people can be good for the military, though they have a hard row to hoe in the initial stages. I keep repeating the US military is a huge logistics company that happens to dabble in warfighting. In the Army only about 10% of soldiers are expected to close with and destroy the enemy. Even in combat arms the majority of soldiers are support. People with more life experience are often great in those roles. Being an E1 or O1 in the Imfantry would be a serious grind for a 40+yo even if they were in great shape.

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I thought I was in good shape but those kids ran circles around me.

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Yeah, the 'old man' in my platoon was 28. I'm 47 and would absolutely smoke 19 year old me that stepped off the cattle truck the first day or two. That's less a testament to me now to how dogshit my numbers were on my first PT test (19 minute 2 mile, 35 pushups, MAYBE 40 situps ). But by day 3 I'd be eating Motrin 800's by the fistful just to get out of bed.