dogs tags

[Rowan]

Possible

Okay, having done a stint as a Unit Retention/Recruting NCO, here's my take:

In 20 years, it's possible to make E-8 or E-9. At that time, you have the possibility/right to pass the 20 year manditory military retirement cut-off. If you come in at 37 years, 20 puts you at 57. 20 years = your initial enlistment + reenlistments to = 20. You can't get an exception - an extend past 20, you can only re-enlist [unless you're in a something like Spec Ops, medical, etc and an officer or Senior NCO]. A regular enlistment contract for an enlisted rank is 4 years. 4 years puts you past 60 and ma ditory federal retirement except with congressional waiver - a very hard thing to get.

Does any of that make sense? Recruting contracts can be a real pain to sort out and do right. And officers have their own head-aches with having to make a certain rank before a certain age or they can't promote and get retired out or RIF'd {Reduction In Force].

Rowan

Jari L. James MSG/E-8 [E-9 promotable]
US Army [ret] 21+ years

 

[ysm]

So, I do my 20 years and retire! Or I do 4 years, or 12 years! and then retire! What's the big deal. Maybe they should make it mandatory that if you can join the military after a "certain" age, you HAVE to retire by age 60. No matter how many years you've served. {I'm talking about the Reserves here, not regular}. And, we'd be entitled to the same types of benefits.

 

[ysm]

I can just picture it, platoons of older folks, smelling of ben gay! The MREs would have to include granola, antacids, and laxatives.

 

[Rowan]

Comments

I do understand where you're coming from [joined when I was 23 with 4 years in my career field as a civ]. The stats show an marked increase in the percentage of OTJ and training injuries, not to mention regular age related problems, starting about 25 or so. The average person just isn't in the condition needed to complete basic and AIT - Advanced Infantry Training, in the Army to do this at 35.

[I know you're female, but most of the service is male and they think that way now. Also, they use the mindset of everyone may have to be a combat person. ]

The military isn't looking for folks who plan on 4 years and go... they have to plan on career folks. 4 to 6 years really isn't a very long period to totally learn a field and become proficient at it. The lucky person comes out of Basic as an E-2, maybe E-3. At the end of 4 years you'll probably be an E-4 unless you've got a real needed speciality.

So, here you are. The military has invested all these bucks in training you, etc. and there's this big risk you'll break and leave at the end of 4 - 8 years. It's not worth it to them. And believe me, I as a troop commander, wouldn't be too happy with someone who's in to just mark time and get the bennies becasue they're 'just Reserve' [No offense, please. This stems from having about 1/3 of my unit find a way to bail when we got called up becasue they were 'just Reserve'. Well, they took the training and the pay all those years... too bad, so sad.]

Now, I came in as Reserve and have spent my time on and off Active duty. My Reserve unit was deployed to Saudi and stationed in Rhyiadh. That pic that CNN loves to show? The one of the Patriot taking out the SCUD missle? That was right above my billets. About as close to combat as you're gonna get short of getting shot at, which I did: both in Rhyiadh itself [right in the hospital compound] and further forward.

And I was a Master Sergeant/E-8 nurse. By Geneva Convention a non-combatant. Believe me, there are no set 'front lines' anymore. I got caned twice in Rhyiadh [the Iman's didn't like a woman in authority. I was the Asst. Chief Wardmaster for the 50th Gen Hosp. - a 100- bed unit that should *not* have been deployed that far forward - out mission was Scotland. Right.] and shot in the hospital compound [L. upper arm... not a biggie].

And I was 38 at the time with a 27 year old husband hanging on his deployment orders back at home - 12th Spec Forces Grp. The wart was over before he got there.

I retired in 1996 looking as an E-9, Sergeant Major promotable and a slot in the Sgt's major Academy waiting. There were just no more slots and I was low on the totempole. If I could have stayed in, I'd be an E-9 at 27 years with at least two commands under me and probably a Command Sgt Major and only 3 to go for my 30. And I would have a bitch making the physical and PT becasue of health conditions left over from the Gulf and my age at 50 right now.

So: there are ligimate reasons to have an age cut-off. I know there are always exceptions to every rule, but an organization as large as the US Military has to run on the statistical norm, not the exception.

Especially with the saftey and wellfare of an entire nations and people are at stake.

Rowan

[And now, Ol ' Sarge will put away her soap box ...

 

[FeedMeTV]

I have considered the army as a career option, (I'm still in school and working hard at my GCSE's!) I'm more interested in the it/comms side of things mind.

Obviously I've not decided on a carrer as yet but you never know.

 

[Rowan]

Family

I come from a service family, to a certain extent. All my family have served in some fashion although all have gotten their education before or after thier service. My mom and dad were pharmacists [she was Navy in WWII and he was a Navy corpsmen attached to the Marines in the pacific], my uncle was a Navy Doctor. Me? I'm the 'Green Sheep' of the family.

Husband is/was also Army so we had to play the 'who's uniform part is this?' came with things like BDU pieces, etc.

The different branches have good training and good education packages. Always research them well before you even look at the dotted line and compare the different branches for what you want. For inetl/com/comp, etc you might want to check out the USAF. I came by my education about 50/50. Some of my training programs were civ [Resp. Therapy, EMT] and some military [OR Tech & Nursing]

One never knows. :}

Row

 

[FeedMeTV]

Thanks for the advice, I certainly will consider everything carefully before I make any decisions.

 

[Dawes]

Hey, there's always the USAF . Spent 20 years as a Munitions Specialist (and actually LIKED it, go figure). I think that our age policies would be similiar to the Army, though. And you must make E-5 by 10 years or separate. Until about 10 years ago, you could actually retire at 20 as an E-4.

 

[Rowan]

USAF

I've got a friend who's a 'bomb bunny', as she calls herself [she's about 5'3" and moves fast, hence the nickname]. She's currently a 5 up for 6. Due to retire in about 8 years if I remember right.

Rowan

 

[spooky]

i have my very own Jack dogtags.

i spent 5 years as an air cadet loved it and i'm hoping to get air force sponsored to do medicine.

so in 6 years time i could be wearing the dogtags for real.

 

[GirlInterrupted]

If I had dogtags, they'd be a great source of humour...I can't imagine you'd find any with Buddhist on them...sort of an irony that...:laugh2:

 

[Mysterious1]

I'm thinking about possibly joining the military when I get older. Right now I'm too young, only 16. I figure I'll finish high school, and then go to college. I want to be a camera operator /photographer. Do they have that in the military? I read in a pamphlet somewhere that they have photography in the Army. I was hoping somewhere along the line of the Air Force though. I know they some times take pics with planes and stuff, but i can't be a pilot, I got very bad vision. Guess I'll have to stick to the Army.

 

[Rowan]

Military

There are positions in all branches of the service even if your eyesight is poor. My husband was airborne infantry/long range recon even though he needed to wear glasses. He went on to join an SF unit and did fine.

I've needed glasses since I was a child. I was getting my eyes checked [to get inserts for my firld protective mask before deploying to the Gulf] when it was discovered that my eyes had changed enough with age that I didn't need them.

We both survived a career in the Army.

It was a nice couple of years. Now? I'm back to glasses for some things.

Rowan

 

[Mysterious1]

Thanks for the info. Don't think it will do much good though, just had a talk with my mom and she aint to crazy about me joining the military. She's afraid I'll get shot, which to me is no big deal, unless I get killed, that would kinda suck. But I guess that's the risk you take when joining...

 

[spooky]

my mum ain't too keen. she thinks i'll get posted to the gulf the way things are at the moment. she doesn't like the idea of me as a medic in a field hospital

 

[Rowan]

Gulf

That's where I was. Actually, a general hospital out of Ryiadh, SA. I was the Assistant Chief Wardmaster for the 50th Gen. Hosp. Got my promotion and reassignment to that slot a week after the unit was called up. Spent Desert Shield and Storm there and parts north.

Rowan

 

[ray gower]

Originally posted by FeedMeTV
I have considered the army as a career option, (I'm still in school and working hard at my GCSE's!) I'm more interested in the it/comms side of things mind.

Obviously I've not decided on a carrer as yet but you never know.

For the British Army, you will not be passed for selection to a specialist branch until you have completed 3 years as a squaddy, reached the rank of Corporal, achieved 8's in assesments and still have at least 5 years left of service.

Then it is a competitive examination to be accepted. Last I heard the pass rate for that is only 20% of all who try, unless they are even more desperate than the line batalions.

The RAF and RN are easier, but most of their failures come at the initial selection stage.

Training is tough, but you are being trained to do a tough and nasty job. But there are few employers that offer the range of experience and the degree of activity if and when you survive. I sorely miss the RAF.

 

[Rowan]

Part of your life.

I understand completely, Ray. Even with the way things are heating up in the Gulf [or, perhaps, becasue of it] I miss it. It was a part of me for over 20 years and something like that can't help but have an impact on one.

Rowan

 

[FeedMeTV]

Originally posted by ray gower

For the British Army, you will not be passed for selection to a specialist branch until you have completed 3 years as a squaddy, reached the rank of Corporal, achieved 8's in assesments and still have at least 5 years left of service.

Ah. Tough possition to reach then.

Originally posted by ray gower

Training is tough, but you are being trained to do a tough and nasty job.

I have great respect for the people who do these jobs and respect for the intensity of the training and the level of skill involved. Hopefully this skill will not be put to the test in the near future.

 

[Rowan]

Agreement

Originally posted by FeedMeTV

I have great respect for the people who do these jobs and respect for the intensity of the training and the level of skill involved. Hopefully this skill will not be put to the test in the near future.

And I add my agreement to that: for the troops in *all* of the military forces of the free world.

Rowan