Who agrees with the British Army raising the recruitment age to 33?

Question

Your for and against answers please.

Answer 1

well the royal airforce and the royal navy have done so for a while and the older soldiers may be slightly less prone to rising to the bait when provoked plus i left the army last year and if my civvie job doesnt work out (im a prison officer)i may re join

Answer 2

Opposed. The British Army need to be populated by young men, a high proportion of whom should be in their teens and early twenties.

The recruit age range of 16-26 was okay.

The upper age limit will now be extended to something like 55 or approaching 60 - an army fat old colonels and flabby middle aged men.

The only time the British Army needs to raise the age of recruitment is in time of war. That is, when the Island of Britain is actually under attack and we need every man jack at the front and in uniform. The last time this happened was during WW-2 when I think that men up to age 44 or possibly 45 were conscripted into the Army.

Answer 3

It is a good idea, so long as the 42-year can pass the PT test in the 17-21 age group, walk a 12-mile road march in under 3 hours, and run 5 miles in under 45 minutes. Then I am all for it. The problem is that they won't make them do that. Then instead of a guy who can carry his weight, you will have somebody who can't really keep up. The same goes for women. Make everybody run an obstacle course in under some standard time, run 5 miles in umder 45 minutes, and do a 12-mile road march with 35 pounds in under 3 hours, and leave it at that. No weight standard, no pushups, no situps, no age requirements, and superior physical fitness beyond the minimum shouldn't get you preferencial treatment for promotion or anyhting else. Certainly, that would be better than telling some male 20-year old who can do 50 pushups, 75 situps, and run 2 miles in 14 minutes that he didn't get promoted because some 45-year old female soldier managed to get a perfect PT score by doing 15 puchups, 30 situps, and running the 2-mile in 18 minutes.

Answer 4

Just how stupid are the MOD? In the nineties Options for change was introduced and the Army lost a lot of its most experienced soldiers due to not reaching a certain rank by a certain age. A lot of corporals and sergeants opted for retirement as they were effectively forced out of a job they loved, I am sure the bill for this was millions of pounds and now they up the age for recruits!! Totally against it.

Answer 5

absolute against, by the time you get to 33 your not going to want to join the Army and do all that running around etc, you should be settled in a job by that time.
I joined the army when I was 17 and it was the best thing I have ever done, It gave me everything I needed for my life ouside the army I served for just under 10 years I think everyone should join up at 17 at least for 3 years it really does make decent humans out of you, I dont know where I would be right now If I hadn't have joined.

Answer 6

Personally i disagree as older recruits will have attitudes ingrained from previous work or life experiences which will make it difficult for the instructors to change and instructors have enough problems with the younger recruits .Then you will have issues with older recruits feeling patronised by a younger instructor and there will be little respect for the instructor by someone who has had a life so to speak.. also could you image a 30 something been told my a 20 something lcpl to run round the parade square holding the shell i dont think so somehow....

Answer 7

Rasing the age to 33 for Infantry maybe not..

There are other paths in the army you know which don't involve 10 mile tabs and running gung ho. I guess it all depends which unit they are going into. Dog handling or intelligence for example would suit older recruits.

Raising it to 33 shows they must be getting short of new recruits.

Answer 8

I heard most british males are too fat for the army anyway.dont mean to offend anyone but watched it on the telly.it was a program about british children been the worst behaved and most overweight in europe and that only a third of males of the right age would make it into the militry.to answer your question, i think its wrong.get them when they in their late teens early 20´s.easier to control and a little fitter i would think.

Answer 9

As the present limit is 26 I guess they are looking for mainly 27 to 30 year olds and why not.
Better conditions and less overstretch would be more useful to keep the army good by retaining experienced people.

Answer 10

I agree, but I would also love to see the return of Natioanal Service,get these kids of the streets,if they want to fight send them to a war zone, at 33 you can see what you want with your life, Im ex RAF and I give my back teeth to get back in uniform, I cant because Im to old over 33 you might say.