U.S. Army recruits more than 300 older soldiers after raising enlistment a

UPDATED: 08:05, August 03, 2006
U.S. Army recruits more than 300 older soldiers after raising enlistment age limit

The U.S. Army has recruited only five soldiers aged 40 and older, and 324 people aged 35 and older, since the service raised its maximum enlistment age from 35 to 40 in January and from 40 to 42 in June this year, the USA Today newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing Army records.

To accommodate the older soldiers, the Army has lowered the minimum physical requirements needed to pass basic training.

For male recruits at the age extreme of 17 years old, the minimum physical requirements are 47 sit-ups, 35 push-ups and 16 minutes and 36 seconds for a 3.2-km run, while for male recruits at 41 years old, the requirements are 29 sit-ups, 24 push-ups, and 19 minutes and 30 seconds for a 3.2-km run.

To trace more recruits, the Army also offers shorter active-duty periods for some new soldiers, and signing bonuses for those who persuade others to join.
(snip/...)

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200608/03/eng20060803_289383.html

who said the age limit was the only thing keeping them from serving their country?

What an embarrassment for the neo-cons.

and maybe the rest haven't heard the news. I'm just sure there's going to be a long line at the recruitment office once they find out.

have no choice but to go to the Draft....I honestly think the Repugs are starting to realize this.....

BURN BABY BURN

THERE WILL BE NUMEROUS ROSE PETAL PARADES

It apparently evaded those 300.

Dewey 'Ox' Oxberger (John Candy)

... their recruitment goals, all the while they're upping the age limit and dropping the minimum standards.

I have to believe that the standards-shifting, especially, is creating add'l morale issues.

TRADOC guidelines on passing scores for Basic Training have usually been some agreeable percentage of the goal set by FM 21-20. The understanding is that the trainee will have met the official standard by the time he or she finishes Advanced Invididual Training and ships out to his or her first permanent unit.

Here's an attempt to make a table comparing the two standards, which include the converted scores (max 100)

AGE       BCT PUSHUPS/score    FM 21-20 PUSHUPS/score
17-21     35/50                42/60
42-46     24/53                30/60

So if anything, the Army is holding the over-41s to a somewhat higher standard just to make sure they eventually meet their fitness standard. The Chinese article is full of crap.

The portion of the field manual that deals with fitness and weight standards can be browsed here:
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/army/l/blfitness.htm