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In the aftermath of 9/11, Americans joined the military out of a renewed sense of service. Recognizing a potential pool of older recruits and forced to expand its ranks because of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US Army raised its upper age eligibility for the regular Army and Reserves in June 2006 from 40 to 42 years old.
Given President George Bush's recent call to increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps, recruiting efforts of both older and younger workers are likely to remain strong.
So far, however, the number of older enlistees has been small. Four months after the changes were announced, "between 40 and 50" people age 40 to 42 had signed up, says US Army spokesman Paul Boyce.
Still, the Army is working hard to recruit soldiers, both old and young, and is using financial incentives to attract them.
Financial Incentives Stronger
In 2006, the Army's goal was 80,000 recruits -- including older personnel. But unlike 2005 when recruiting goals were missed, the 2006 goal was met.
Higher enlistment bonuses and pay levels for certain jobs are aiding recruiting efforts. In January 2006, the maximum for a recruit enlisting for four years or more in the active-duty Army doubled from $20,000 to $40,000. Six-year commitments for the reserves went from $10,000 to $20,000.
Increased investment into recruiting efforts -- both through a rise in the number of recruiters and increased marketing -- also is helping boost the number of enlistees.
Army Says Older Recruits Make Excellent Soldiers
If the Army has its wish, older soldiers will continue to comprise a share of the new recruits.
"Experience has shown that older recruits who can meet the physical demands of Army service generally make excellent soldiers," says Col. Donald Bartholomew, U.S. Army Recruiting Command chief of staff. "They are mature, motivated, loyal and patriotic, and bring with them a wealth of skills and experience."
He says they are "physically fit and fitness enthusiasts. Today, as people live longer and better, there's a good possibility of older people serving in the armed forces."
Who Joins
Boyce says that new, older enlistees are leaving jobs like firefighting and law enforcement. Some come from Wall Street. However, he says, "hedge fund people are not our target audience." No matter what their previous careers, they bring "a great deal of maturity, experience and intelligence." he says. "They've lived longer than younger (enlistees)," he says.
Boyce also says there is no difference in the jobs younger and older enlistees are assigned to, nor is there any difference in the odds of being sent to a war zone. "It's all a matter of which units are called up," Boyce says.
Motivations for enrollment vary. "Sometimes they have a son or daughter in the armed forces," Boyce says. "Maybe they've lost someone. Or they feel a civic obligation to serve their nation."
Recruits of all ages are eligible for the same enlistment bonuses and other incentives based on individual qualifications. All applicants must meet eligibility standards, including fitness tests and medical examinations. Enlistees between the ages of 40 and 42 are given additional medical screening.
Everyone, regardless of age, is protected by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act (USERRA), which prohibits discrimination against someone because of military service. USERRA bars an employer from denying any benefit of employment to former military personnel and allows them to reclaim their civilian employment after being absent due to military service or training. Military personnel do not have to commit to returning to their previous job but must make an application to their former employer in a timely fashion after an honorable discharge.
After Service
Boyce says employers are attracted to former service members' "decision-making, leadership and business management skills." Older military personnel have the advantage of adding expertise in areas like law enforcement, medicine and technology to their previous career skills.
Bill Scott, marketing director for outplacement firm Bradley-Morris, adds that "the military gives you all the great things employers look for: leadership, goal orientation, the ability to get things done on the front line." After their tours, military personnel are even more marketable than before, because "the command and control structure enables you to make decisions on the fly," says Scott. "When you're on the front line day in and day out, you can't have ‘analysis paralysis.' The military instills confidence and responsibility."
Scott says that whether or not older enlistees plan to return to their previous jobs, they should examine the new skills they have mastered and see where they now will be most appropriate.
He cautions all former service personnel reentering the civilian workforce to avoid "military jargon" in their resumes. Many employers don't understand it. "Don't say you were ‘in charge of a Striker fire team,'" he advises. "Instead, say you ‘led a team of 25 people with a $2 million budget, and increased the efficiency of that unit fourfold.'"
