Raising the military enlistment age to 21?

Question

Don't these men need to be more mature before they join?

....and women of course.

A little life experience outside of high school?

At least have independence from you family instead of going from one parent to another.

It's sad they way they are brainwashed, and end up hating it because they had no life experience first.

Answer 1

Good Thinking!!! I agree with you. Either lower the drinking age to 18, )if you are old enough to fight and die, you're old enough to drink) or raise the enlistment age to 21 (best choice). Otherwise it is VERY hypocritical.

Again I agree and excellent point!

Answer 2

What they do to get "life experience from 18 to 21? Many join the service to get money for college to continue there education which they can't afford. How much "life experience" happens between 18 to 21 anyway? Most kids are either in college or, if they want to join the military, would be in dead end jobs passing the time away. I never knew that they all were brainwashed and hated the experience; some will hate the experience and regret joining, most I have found learned from it and will tell you it was the growing up and life experience they needed to join the adult world. As for lowering the drinking age to 18-that was done in almost every state when the voting age was dropped and was retracted because of the number of 18-20 year old killing themselves and others in accidents. Not to mention the problem with high schools parties when some could bring alcohol legally and then share it-busted for adding to the delinquency of a minor. Life experience is what you learn for living-the military can give that to you at 18 and a civilian job can also; maybe we shouldn't allow them to enroll in college or take a regular job until they are 21 either, they might start with the wrong major and waste 2-3 years or take a job that 3 years later they don't like so wasted those years.

Answer 3

I joined just 2 months after I turned 17 and that's only because I had to get my immigration situation fixed (I had to renew my green card.) If not, I would've joined the day OF my 17th birthday. At that young age though, when you come in the military, you're still just a private junior enlisted, so you're not really responsible for a whole lot. All you have to be good at is following orders, thats it. That way, by the time you do hit 21, like ME, you're ready to become an NCO, like ME, and you have younger troops, versus the reserves and the guard who have some REALLY old troops. I know of a 52 year old E-6 Staff Sergeant..........I'm a 21 year old E-5 Sergeant!!! Tell me who'd you rather have out there, older or younger troops? True, the older are more mature, but younger tend to be more in shape. The below 30 are generally the ones out there getting down and dirty. It's bad enough they raised the enlistment age to 42, we don't need 42 year old privates who have a problem taking orders from say a 21 year old sergeant:)

P.S.I took extra classes during summer just to graduate a year early in order to leave to the army as soon as possible, I graduated high school in 3 years because I wanted in ASAP! My recruiter even ended up going to my high school graduation.

Answer 4

Would you consider raising the voting age to 21? Or how about the driving age? After all, these "kids" are probably twenty or thirty times more likely to die in a car accident than in war.

And you want to talk "Life Experience"? I joined the military when I was 18, and when I look around now at the kids I grew up with, I have more life experience than they ever had sitting on their A$$es playing x-box and going to keg parties and dropping out of college.

No, actually that is the problem with this country. We shield and shelter and protect and take responsibility away from young adults so much, that many never grow up to be adults, but big immature kids. Think back to the days where children actually had to work on the farm and were trusted with responsibility. Were they sitting on their butts at home becomming obese and hooting up schools, and disrespecting adults? ere they whining and crying and filing lawsuits, etc.? Not nearly as much as they are now.

Answer 5

I went in at 17 and made Sergeant just before my 20th Birthday. By the time I was 21 I was well into my second enlistment and my second tour in Vietnam. Just because you aren't mature doesn't mean everyone is that way. That is why I have so much admiration for our military, while others are barely able to wipe thier own butts continuing thier education these kids are involved in a dirty little war.

The average Khmer Rouge was around 13. Most of the wars in equitorial Africa are being fought by Soldiers in thier early teens. American children want to remain in school until they are in thier thirties and owe hundreds of thousands in student loans.

Answer 6

And your pink hair is a sign of maturity ??

I joined at 21 after I'd run out of college funds, I just missed the NAVCAD program so I enlisted. I was the OLDEST recruit in my company.

I liked the individual who points out the carrier flight-deck. I flew off the deck of our carriers as a helicopter crewman for almost 15 yrs, and found the 18-22 yr olds manning the deck to be very mature.

As others ask... where are they to DEVELOPE this maturity and "life experiences" between their 18th and 21st year ?

Answer 7

Some young people I've met are very mature at 16. Other I've meti n their 40's and 50's still are very immature.
If young people need to be more mature before they enlist, then they need to be more mature before they drive., therefore we should raise the driving age to 21.

So far, this month in my county. 3 ( 2 age 19, one age 18) died in auto accidents.
The cause,- they lost control of their vehicle.

Answer 8

The idea is that Basic Training will make these recruits mature. What are some kids supposed to do between high school and age 21? I am a firm believer that not everyone is suited for college, nor does everyone need it. There is also the argument that at age 18 one can vote for his/her country, shouldn't they be able to defend it? But it will never happen for one very serious and simple reason, war is not one by older, and more educated men, war is one by those older/educated men telling young men to charge. Tell an 18 year old he gets to fire a gun and experience battle and he'll probably say "Awesome!" His older/educated commander, after being ordered to charge might say "Nah, i'm ok here, thanks anyhow though..."

Answer 9

Next time you see video footage of an aircraft carrier on TV, take a look at those on the flight deck. The average age is 22. And I don't know of any civilian industry or business which gives men so young so much individual responsibility. It's not those young service people who are immature. It's a nation of civilians masquerading as adults while they are still mentally in 7th grade!

Answer 10

The age to join is 17 with parental permission

Most don't leave immediately after High School they wait at least til summers over.

At an early age they have not learned any really bad habits and if they did it's still early enough to brake most of them.

It's their chose to Join leave whats not broken alone it has worked for many Generations.

Vet-USAF