I must admit that a military career is about as appealing to me personally as a nest of head lice.But in today's era in which it's hard to find a career you can enter in midlife that offers stable, well-benefited employment with steady promotion opportunities, I thought I'd provide you with the link to the piece in today's New York Times that reports that the Army has raised its recruiting age limit to 42.
I have honestly considered enlisting for several years, mainly because it seems like one of the only guaranteed ways of job and retirement security for a working class person. I have a very small extended family and minimal social connections, so if I was out of work for a long time, I would be in trouble. I also don't have any specialized job skills. But very little else about being in the Army excites me -- it's mainly the idea of no longer always having to worry where the next paycheck is coming from.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's not the ideal reason to join, but I've just seen some friends in the military with many more benefits/opportunities. If I could go back in time, I would have done it when I was 18 and I could already be out now with civilian military benefits -- assuming that I wouldn't have been killed in a war. :(
I suppose there are worse things than joining the Army at 42, especially if you have few other options. However, I would wonder how a 42-year-old would fit in with the 18- and 19-year-olds in the barracks.
ReplyDeleteAlso, keep in mind that "what you're good at/enjoy" and "what the military wants/needs you to do" can be VERY different. I speak from experience on this.
Finally, the 42-year-old age limit isn't all that recent--it's been around since 2006.
I know that many other armies, such as Switzerland and Israel, consider 45 or 55 as the cut-off age for military eligibility. I wonder how their experiences have gone with that.
ReplyDeleteEnlisting is certainly a viable option. But if you're feeling unsure and are only considering it for the job security, try these sites first:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.governmentsupportjobs.com/
http://www.governmentjobadvice.com/
government jobs, contracting, civil service- all have great job security
Thanks, Shelley!
ReplyDeleteThis so called teacher obviously made this up after watching Dangerous Minds or something.
ReplyDelete"One is dark
but slim; the other light and obese. The
dark one begins the exchange: “You
fat, Ridario!” Ridario smiles, doesn’t deign to look
at his detractor, shakes his head like a
wobbling top, and says, “You wish you
light skinned.”
I guarantee you, this exchange never happened. That would be the worst comeback ever. If the fat kid said that he would of got his ass whooped for being so shitty. This dude is lame.
I thought about joining the military here in the UK. I can still join the National Guard equivalent called the Territorial Army (theoretically) The skills you learn there could be invaluable in future.
ReplyDeleteB. Will-o: Wrong thread, genius. Well done.
42 is not too old to join the army if you have the experience you can transfer from your previous environment. Get your boots on and get in!
ReplyDeleteThe age limit to join the U.S. Army has been changed to 42 but you can not have turned 42 by the time you enter boot camp.
ReplyDelete