Pentagon seeks higher age limit for recruits

[denverbill]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=615&e=7&u=/nm/20050722/pl_nm/arms_usa_recruiting_dc

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Faced with major recruiting problems sparked by troop deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon has asked Congress to raise the maximum age for U.S. military enlistees from 35 to 42 years old.

The request, sent to lawmakers this week, would apply to all active duty branches of the military services, said Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, a Pentagon spokeswoman, on Friday. But it is aimed chiefly at the active duty Army, which has fallen far short of recruiting goals this year, by adding millions of potential enlistees.

<snip>
Hey, at this rate maybe Cheney can finally serve his country in a few months.

And it sounds like there might be an opening for Delay too, since minorities aren't taking all the good spots.

[phantom power]

1. I wonder why they think this will help.

Hard for me to believe that middle-aged guys are going to suddenly start lining up at the recruiting office, just because now they're allowed to.

Unless, of course, they're thinking about a draft.

[denverbill]

2. Think of all the keyboard warriers over at FR that might be eligible now.

They'll have recruits by the thousands any day now.

[jarab]

3. Locking ...

A continuation of this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1639849