I have hated every job I've held, including some fairly high level business management positions. I scored very well on the ASVAB  about 7 years ago(at least that's what the USMC recruiter said), and have a college degree. I don't particularly want to go the OCS route.
I'm at my happiest when carrying a 70lb pack, a rifle, and while trudging through the mountains for miles on end regardless of elevation gain (or loss).
However, I do have child support and the average amount of American debt. [:)]
I was interested in the RIP program, but I don't have a clue if this is realistic or not.
What the hell do YOU think?
Thanks,
Coversix

What I think is that you should join the Foreign Legion.

1) They take recruits age 17-40
2) Say goodbye to debt and child payments
3) They can change your name
4) Their airborne regiment has an elite ranger-like comapany you can aim for.  Though you'd be lucky to get into the airborne regiment at age 29.  Regular infantry units should be no sweat though.

What are the age limits in the Army if you're prior service? And for the National Guard?

Coversix: We had several (well, 2-3) 29 year-olds when i was in basic training. Oddly enough, they were all 29, nobody older. I believe you can be up to 34 or so to enlist - the age is set younger if you are looking to go the officer route. Of course, I was (and still am) a pogue, so maybe the infantry OSUT had a different demographic.

Aslo, I had a new soldier that had been an accountant join my platoon as a commo guy when I was an ADA platoon leader a few years back.

My bet is you won't be the only "old fart"

My opinion - go for it. 11B, ranger option. If you wash out, you can still be an infantryman, if you want to do the high speed stuff - fight to stay in light/airborne/air assault type units. A LOT of people don't make it through that stuff - nobody will think any less of you; especially as a junior enlisted.

You only live once. You will never be younger than you are today. Second to None!


Adam

Foreign Legion?  I think not.

Serving in the military of any foreign power AUTOMATICALLY revokes your US citizenship.  While you can APPLY for French citizenship after 5 years, your worse case scenario is being a stateless person, your best case scenario is being a Frog.

I joined the Texas Army National Guard last month and I ship to basic Sept. 11th.  2nd week of March I start OCS.  It is a 16 month OCS program, one weekend a month, 2 weeks in June and then I'll be commissioned as a 2nd Lt.  By the time of my commission I'll be pushing 34.

They are hurting for officers now, waivers are easy to come by for age, I'd talk to MANY recruiters and don't trust them as far as you can throw them.  Also, do I like I did, and get EVERYTHING in your contract.

Cut off age to enlist is 37, unless you are prior service, then its your age minus years of service, so long as you dont go over 37. Example if you are 40, served 4 years, then you count as being 36 for enlistment.

When I went to basic training in 1984 I was 19, but we had guys that were 23, 24, and one guy was 35.  He did it as a change of career. We all looked at him like he had three heads, considering he literally taught chinese at some college in New York.  However we later learned he went off to Intel school after doing a breif stint as a MP like the rest of us.

Then when I was in "permannet party" billets, we had a guy who was a E-6 in the reserves, re-enlist active duty. He was 39 at the time, had served in Viet Nam in the early 70's and then was a Baltimore City cop for 10 or 12 years. He too got fed up with the BS of civilian life and went back in as a PFC (E-3). It was funny to see him in Class-A greens, he had more medals (too include a CIB) than any of us, the platoon leader or the company commander.  The only person who compared was the platoon sergeant who also had been in Viet Nam.  [(:)]

I looked into re-enlisting in the reserves, but I had shoulder surgery 5 years ago, and I was medically disqualified. [:(]

You can do all that and afford to pay your debts as an officer. At least the numb skulls that will be telling you what to do will be college educated. But my best advise is; ARE YOUR CRAZY? It's one thing at 17 but 29? Man, I feel for you. Life must really have you down. All the best to you whatever you decide.

My Fiance Joined at 30 so yeah I think it can be done.  Of course she didn't enlist she went in as an officer but...

I enlisted in the Army at 28 - turned 29 on 'family day' in basic.It doesn't sound old untill you surround yourself with a bunch of teenagers.There was a guy in our company that had signed up at 33![we were both older than most of the drill sgts.]
I think he was a leo in the real world.
Joined up because I was looking for something different -just got fed up with the 9 - 5 stuff.

Only regret that I had was not reenlisting.

My advice - DO IT NOW - if you don't like it,finish out your enlistment contract and be a better person for the experience.

new cut-off ages

ARMY=34(changed in 1995)
Navy=34(not sure)
Marines=29
Air Force=28

you must start your first day of training before you reach that age so its actually 1 day before your b-day to the above listed day.

Tried that. The recruiters kept trying to switch around my MOS to 0300 on the contract and kept stating that my prefered specialties were full (suddenly) and would not be available. A close friend of mine, whom I trust, was a Marine, too and said if they pulled that crap to walk and find a different recruiter. I walked out of the MEPS just before signing-off the paper work as they had (for the 3rd or 4th time) swapped the MOS and ommitted the airborne training option. The SSgt chased me out and was bitching me up one side and down the other. At the time I was still in college so I blew it off.
I just got a really decent paying job so now I'm more at a loss for what to do! Thanks for the input gentlemen.
C6

My sentiments exactly. [:)]
C6

I say go for it....I joined the CA Army Nat'l Gaurd when I was 26...11Bravo OSUT, there were 3 other guys older than me, 31,31,32.  We were all E-3's and got much less crap from the Drill Sgts since we were able listen and do what we were told.

It is an experience I would not trade for anything!

HTH,

Steve

!!!!  You're 30, you've got a college degree, and you're going to enlist?  Are you f***ing kidding me?  For the love of God, go through OCS and get a commission, or else you'll regret it when 23 year old 2nd LT's are giving you orders.  

How much do they pay privates?  God I don't want to know.  That is good stuff for adventurous 18 year-olds, but a 30 year old man?  You'll be making a decent salary if you go in as a 2nd LT.

You know, I shouldn't say this, but I ..no, I won't say it.

I shouldn't make any assumptions, but, I just don't see how you can turn down OCS.  I really don't.  Are things that bad?  Do you really want 20 year old female corporals giving you orders?  Argh, the thought.  NFW.  That would be humiliation.  

Do the right thing.  Go through OCS and get the nice salary and the benifits, and at the same time not have to worry about people half your age telling you what do do.  

Honestly, what are you going to do when some 21 year old punk who's ranked higher than you orders you to do pushups?  Go through OCS and it will be the other way around.  You're a man, it's time to lead.  

Don’t.  The psychological and physical differences between 19 and 29 are so severe that I don’t believe that you have a place in that training.  You made a choice, subconscious maybe, at about 25.  At this point, you need to go on with your life.  Don’t be seduced by Internet gun boards that spew day in and day out about creating a “CQB” or “MOUT” AR-15, and battling the bad guys, or even possibly “terrorists.”

You don’t have 19-year-old knees or feet.  You have no idea how much of a load an 0300 MOS puts on your body.  How many broken down 30-year-old Staff Sergeants, with scoliosis looking back, and a pronounced stiffness in the knees, have you met?  They made as much of a sacrifice as most of the men who have come back wounded from wars.  It’s a young man’s game.

I don’t know how to tell you that it is not an option.  I have been doing it for 11 years, and I couldn’t do it from scratch now.

A friend once told me that if I spent as much time learning or reading about a topic that could make me money as I did about topics regarding weapons or the military, I could be very well off.  Take a look at yourself and focus you life on other interests.

Army Regulation 601-210, [i]Regular Army and Army Reserve Enlistment Program[/i], dated 28 March 1995, Chapter 4 [i]Waiver and Nonwaiver Enlistment Criteria[/i], states:



Here's the website that I pulled this from (might not work if you're not in a .mil domain):  [url]http://books.usapa.belvoir.army.mil/cgi-bin/bookmgr/BOOKS/R601_210/CCONTENTS[/url]

The regulation states that 34 is the max age.  I would think that the sentence about age being governed by statute would preclude any local, temporary change to this.


Chris