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Science & Technology
US Army raises enlistment age to 40
2006-01-20
The US Army said Wednesday it has raised its maximum enlistment age from 35 to 40 years old and is doubling signing up bonuses to a high of 40,000 dollars. The measures are the latest in a series of steps the army has taken over the past year to offset a slump in recruiting as it faces ongoing campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The army failed to hit its recruiting goal of 80,000 new recruits in fiscal 2005. Recruiting figures have since improved but the the war in Iraq has made it difficult to meet the demand for fresh soldiers.

Army Secretary Francis Harvey, however, denied charges that the army is a "broken force," telling reporters it has met its recruiting goals in the last seven months with the help of bonuses and other incentives. But he acknowledged that recruiting remains "a month-to-month thing". "As I said, the rest of the year looks promising. But we're certainly not going to sit on our laurels," he said.

Raising the maximum age for enlistments "expands the recruiting pool, provides motivated individuals an opportunity to serve, and strengthens the readiness of army units," the army said in a statement.

The army is raising the maximum cash enlistment bonuses to 40,000 dollars for the active duty army, and 20,000 dollars for the army reserve, doubling the current maximums. Older recruits are entitled to the same signing bonuses as younger ones, the army said. "Experience has shown that older recruits who can meet the physical demands of military service generally make excellent soldiers based on their maturity, motivation, loyalty, and patriotism," the army said.
Of course, the ultra-classified list is those personnel in critical shortage they are raising the enlistment age to get.
Posted by: Anonymoose

#7  I have always believed and argued that in a war where the very survival, sovereignty, freedoms and identity of America as we know it is at stake, i.e. a KILL OR BE KILLED/RULE OR BE SLAVE, etc. situation, that iff America is not going to suppor a new national draft in the alternate the Fed Govt returns to Cold War levels, or higher, of spending as necessary for free America to win.
AMERICA'S ENEMIES, including anti-American Americans, prefer that the Fed take over everything and anything, i.e. SOCIALIZE LEGALIZE STATUTIZE BUREAUCRATIZE CENTRALIZE and MILITARIZE, while still maintaining a mostly volunteer Military in order to fight a Radical Terror/Islam in regions and scenarios where there is high risk of mil intervention by the already Socialized Centralized and Militarized, i.e. NATIONS-GOVTS ALREADY ON A WAR FOOTING, RUSSIA-CHINA and aligned. I have no doubts that many Rightists and GOP-Conservatives, and nay America's SILENT/CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY, will suppor a draft iff it means the survival and victory of theirs and the American cause - OUR PROB ARE POWER-WHORISH, DESPERATE RINOS, CINOS, LEFTIES and ANTI-AMERICAN AMERS WHOM WILL SAY ANYTHING TO FORCE AMERICA UNDER OWG AND SWO/CWO AND ALA THE MSM CLAIM THAT AMERICANS WANT=DESIRE IT SO, where Americans and only Americans must MUST M-U-S-T-T-T pay the bulk of future Interna and Global Taxes in the name of a OWG and Global Amer Empire that America and Americans are NOT N-O-T-T-T TO GOVERN OR DOMINATE, AND WHERE AMERICA MUST GIVE UP OUR SOVEREIGNTY AND SUBMIT TO PC/PDENIABLE CONTROL AND GOVERNANCE BY A COALITION OF INTERNATIONAL STATES. Its like telling the HELLENES, ROMANS or MONGOLS OR BRITS, ETC. = "Thank You for conquering the World, Thank You for your individual and national sacrifice and Milyuhns and Zilyuhns of casualties, BUT NOW YOU HAVE TO TURN OVER YOUR NATION AND EMPIRE TO BE GOVERNED BY OTHER LESSOR NATIONS, WHOM MAY OR MAY NOT, HAVE YOUR NATIONAL INTERESTS AT HEART".
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2006-01-20 21:39  

#6  Damn those Republicans for cutting off the Vietnamese. If only they'd followed the steadfast support of the leftists.
Posted by: ed   2006-01-20 11:47  

#5  [but notice who ran Congress during that war


er, a coalition of Republicans and Southern Democrats who were MORE conservative than most Republicans?
Posted by: liberalhawk   2006-01-20 11:38  

#4  Dammit!
I'll take eleven years and keep the damn bonus!
Posted by: DanNY   2006-01-20 11:36  

#3  US Army raises enlistment age to 40 and 40,000 dollars.

raise the age limit 20 more and add another $260,000 and I swear I'll consider it.
Posted by: RD   2006-01-20 10:05  

#2  The army failed to hit its recruiting goal of 80,000 new recruits in fiscal 2005. Recruiting figures have since improved but the the war in Iraq has made it difficult to meet the demand for fresh soldiers.

Sorry guys, this is based upon a lie. The left won't let it die, but it is a LIE.

By law the Army could only have 482,000 personnel at the end of FY 2004 (sept 04). Congress in the FY 2005 budget authorized a manpower increase of 20,000. The Army ended FY 2005 with 492,000. 10,000 more than they had the year before. This is the manipulation of data by those with a political agenda to push. Just as the old 3% increase in benefits is shouted out as a 'cut' if 5% is not approved. Its still an increase. It is a significant increase done during war. Its the first increase since the draw downs in the early 90s.

Go ask the officers and undersecretaries who do the force structuring and manning if they'd want 20,000 new soldiers in one year if it meant taking NCOs and officers out of the line to man the training base to accommodate that increase. The answer would be no. They'd rather ramp up gradually so as not to distort the personnel assignment and stationing situation any further than it is now.

Notice the broken force commentary. Back in the post-Vietnam period of the 70s the Army suffered through years of high AWOL, Art. 15s, drug abuse, court martials, race riots and other symptoms of low morale. Low pay, minimum training, barely sustained maintenance. The whipping boy for the Democratic Party for the Vietnam fiasco [but notice who ran Congress during that war]. That was a broken Army.
Posted by: Ulereper Omomonter9706   2006-01-20 08:49  

#1  Just make sure the medications kit contains lots and lots of Tylenol and instant coffee.
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-01-20 08:37  

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