On talk radio this A.M, a caller called in mad because he went to a job fair, and the military recruiter told him since he was 40 yrs old, he could not enlist.

While the caller ADMITTED he couldn't fight, or carry a rifle, he said he could  mop or clean toilets, or act in a support role, and that he was mad at the military since they would not "give him a job." (his words, he said he has been unemployed since May 01)

I called in and gave the following as to why he should not be allowed (and I should not be allowed) to enlist at an advanced age:

1. The #1 function of the military is to kill people and break things. Sounds trite, but it is still true.

2. The army is NOT a jobs program.

3. The army is NOT a social experiment.

4. All soldiers go to basic. His age and physical condition would make it impossible for him to do this.

5. A whole new hierarchy would have to be set up to deal with support personnel who don't go to basic and are STRICTLY support personnel.

6. Unit cohesiveness is of PRIMARY IMPORTANCE. Soldiers should NOT have to trust their lives to someone ONLY capable of carrying a mop.

Reasons I didn't get to share:

7. Housing needs are already stretched to the limit for FULLY PRODUCTIVE soldiers. No need to further burden the system for only PARTLY productive personnel.

8. Military commanders don't need the hassle of determining combat assignments (or even peace time assignments) with personnel of limited functionality.


AM I OFF BASE HERE?? SHOULD THE MILITARY BE ENLISTING NON-FIGHTING PERSONNEL?????

Nope, you're dead on.

The military is a warfighting machine.
Any energy that is expended, that does not further THAT mission, is detrimental to THAT mission.
Period.

There's no shortage of janitorial jobs in the private sector.  

One more vote for your side, G, you're dead-on.

[i]...and that he was mad at the military since they would not "[b]give[/b] him a job." [/i]

All the more reason to keep pigeon turds like him out of the military.  

Of course if Bill Clitoris was still President, I'm sure he would have revamped the military by now to accomodate crippled, blind, obese, homeless, unemployable scatbags like that guy.