Topic: Am I too old to join/do well/fit in? (Merged thread)

[Class-Senior]

I finished BMQ and BMOQ (reservists do them as two courses) at 45
I did half my phase 2 training at Gagetown at 46

On BMQ, there was another guy who was 49 (an ex reg forces guy who came back
as a reservist).

We fit in fine. There was the odd joke but, I usually felt like part of the crowd.

Congrats !

[Thunda]

We hate older people, they don't cry for attention and they have work ethic (well some do).  Plus they don't seem to cry when they get in jacked up.  Horrible people all of them...

lol, this made my day

[Hurricane]

A Gentleman I work with completed his basic at 55. On my basic, we had a female at 53 going through as a trained dental tech. We treated her as a soldier.

[Jackson10]

My BMQ (reserves) had 2 people in their 40s and 2 in their late 30s (including me). I think we had the most fun on the course. Hanging out with 19 and 20 year olds can be quite fun, if you let it be.

[Jim Seggie]

Hey everyone.
I'm a few weeks away from being sworn in, and was wondering how much flack I might expect to recieve during BMQ and SQ.
I've been away from the military for over 20 years, which means that some of the recruits I'll be training with will not have been born when I mustered out.
Does anyone here have any experience with this sort of thing? I'm not worried about harrassment (I don't think anyone would deliberately undermine my effort to serve) but I'm sure there will be a certain amount of good natured ribbing.
Though I may be wrong about harrassment and undermining....

Either way, I'm looking forward to it. An adventure at 48! Should be fun.

Welcome back - I certainly hope they give you a good razzing joking - some will. Most of the younger ones will look to you for leadership. It doesn't matter that you're a recruit like them, all they know is you're older and wiser.....we think......

[GhostofJacK]

Hey everyone.
I'm a few weeks away from being sworn in, and was wondering how much flack I might expect to recieve during BMQ and SQ.
I've been away from the military for over 20 years, which means that some of the recruits I'll be training with will not have been born when I mustered out.
Does anyone here have any experience with this sort of thing? I'm not worried about harrassment (I don't think anyone would deliberately undermine my effort to serve) but I'm sure there will be a certain amount of good natured ribbing.
Though I may be wrong about harrassment and undermining....

Either way, I'm looking forward to it. An adventure at 48! Should be fun.

As Mr Seggie said, you'll most likely be looked to for leadership. That may not even be the 'should we do a frontal or flank attack?' army leadership but rather 'Well, I could go down to the ranks with the guys or stay and do my station jobs first like 'Blacksmith' does'. We are all new at the army game in BMQ. If you don't pull out the caveat 'Well, I'm 48, I can't do the required amount of pushups' card, then they shouldn't bring age in as a way razz you. Yes, you may be jokingly ribbed about your age, just as red-headed recruits are about their hair or nerds are about their accumulation of comic books by the end of course.

[Rogo]

We had a 46 mother on our course....We called her mom, she was nursing O so took good care of us when people were injured and the such. Use your experience and skills to your advantage, she loved being the platoon mom and excelled at it.  And as a reward I made a good friendship and on grad day had the pleasure of meeting her daughter 

But really, any detriment age has is overcome by many more positive skills should you approach the course with a good attitude and a willingness to use your personal experience to help others. 

My

[Hunter]

Probably, but so what.  I was the oldest by far on almost every military course I have ever done.  I was oldest by a little on one of them.    I'm usually the oldest person in the room.  On my first tour there was another reservist at the same FOB who was older than me.  His guys called him 'old balls'. 

I think you will find that yes maybe the back and knees might ache a bit but life experience counts for a lot.

From one old guy to another, go for it you old fart. 

Old man tough is just straight-up tough. 

Good luck with it!

[Jim Seggie]

nerds are about their accumulation of comic books by the end of course.

What century are you from? Comic books? Really now.....

In my day we had a collection of stone tablets but then someone invented papyrus.....

[CountDC]

you had tablets before there was fire?

[Jim Seggie]

you had tablets before there was fire?

Yes. We didn't exactly follow the CTP. Mind you, the CTP was - if I remember correctly 20 - 30 tablets or so.

Once Og discover fire was better and dun Basic Caveman qualification. Then name change to Basic Caveman Qual (Land). Og (fire starter) went to Caveman Navy.

[Nerf herder]

Welcome back to the "big green machine".

We don't like it when older folks get in and actually do as they are told, work their asses off and can actually function without a iPhone welded to their thumbs. We certainly don't like it when they get accelerated promoted and put on career courses faster than their younger peers due to the above shortcomings.

Have fun on your courses. You'll find them rather easy compared to 20 years ago.

Regards

[ObedientiaZelum]

My BMQ (reserves) had 2 people in their 40s and 2 in their late 30s (including me). I think we had the most fun on the course. Hanging out with 19 and 20 year olds can be quite fun, if you let it be.

Man. I'd rather be locked in a room with Tom Green, Jim Carry and Fran Drescher than hang out with 19 and 20 year olds.

[Jim Seggie]

Man. I'd rather be locked in a room with Tom Green, Jim Carry and Fran Drescher than hang out with 19 and 20 year olds.

I could handle Fran - just gag her.

[ObedientiaZelum]

Jim I think she would chew through that gag faster than a beaver through a softwood tree 

[Kimchiburger]

First things first, I've been the Reserves before back when I was a teenager and I washed out. I washed out a few days after my 18th birthday. I'm not sure if this will be a big, black mark on my record or not but I basically washed out (I was "honourably discharged") because I was 18 and didn't know my head from a hole in the ground. I didn't do anything bad, I was just a "slack and idle bag of hammers" as my old Master Corporal used to put it.

A little bit of history, I'm 27 years old. I have a BA in Philosophy, have been teaching English in South Korea and Japan for five years and am contemplating coming back and giving the military another go. I'm getting tired of teaching English and all the problems that go along with it.

Since my last stint in the military, I've grown up, got in great physical shape (I was over 230lbs of fat first time around) and I've gained a ton of life experience on the other side of the world. I'm going to be fluent in Korean by the end of this year, I speak passable Japanese (I don't know if either of these things would help). I just have some questions:

1. Does having washed out at 18 affect my chances? How much so?

2. Does me being overseas affect my chances at all? How will they see that?

3. I'm looking at going in as a DEO (Direct Entry Officer--did I get that right?) Is it competitive now? Some of the trades I'm interested in are the ones I've heard need applicants (Armoured, Artillery and so on). Is that correct?

4. Am I too old? If I go through basic at age 29 or 30... will I be the oldest in the group? Does it hurt my ability to be accepted? I'm worried that they'd only be looking for fresh-out-of-university 22-year-olds and I am not that.

That's it. Any answers/help would be appreciated. Thanks for your time!

[BobSlob]

First things first, I've been the Reserves before back when I was a teenager and I washed out. I washed out a few days after my 18th birthday. I'm not sure if this will be a big, black mark on my record or not but I basically washed out (I was "honourably discharged") because I was 18 and didn't know my head from a hole in the ground. I didn't do anything bad, I was just a "slack and idle bag of hammers" as my old Master Corporal used to put it.

A little bit of history, I'm 27 years old. I have a BA in Philosophy, have been teaching English in South Korea and Japan for five years and am contemplating coming back and giving the military another go. I'm getting tired of teaching English and all the problems that go along with it.

Since my last stint in the military, I've grown up, got in great physical shape (I was over 230lbs of fat first time around) and I've gained a ton of life experience on the other side of the world. I'm going to be fluent in Korean by the end of this year, I speak passable Japanese (I don't know if either of these things would help). I just have some questions:

1. Does having washed out at 18 affect my chances? How much so?

2. Does me being overseas affect my chances at all? How will they see that?

3. I'm looking at going in as a DEO (Direct Entry Officer--did I get that right?) Is it competitive now? Some of the trades I'm interested in are the ones I've heard need applicants (Armoured, Artillery and so on). Is that correct?

4. Am I too old? If I go through basic at age 29 or 30... will I be the oldest in the group? Does it hurt my ability to be accepted? I'm worried that they'd only be looking for fresh-out-of-university 22-year-olds and I am not that.

That's it. Any answers/help would be appreciated. Thanks for your time!

Everything would be best sent to a recruiting officer, but;

1. No, not at all. You were honourably discharged.
2. No, not at all. A few extra blocks on the application will need to be filled out but that's about it.
3. Contact the recruiting center, they're the only ones with that kind of reliable information.
4. No, not at all. I can pretty much guarantee you won't be the oldest in your platoon.

[CDN Aviator]

2. No, not at all. A few extra blocks on the application will need to be filled out but that's about it.

It will add much to the length of time the application process takes. Much, much time.

[mariomike]

Am I too old?

These may help,
1) Topic: "Am I too old?":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=95055.0

2) Topic: "Am I too old?":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,17434.0/nowap.html

Topic: "Too old to Join?":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=80535.0

Topic: "Am i too old to join the Army":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=90487.0

Topic: "too old for the reserves?":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=21117.0

Topic: "dear Canadian Forces":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=65909.0
"I visited recruiting office for the first time when I was 37, too old as I thought back then."

Topic: "Too Old?";
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,207.0/nowap.html

Topic: "preparing and chances for reserve at age 39?":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,102026.0.html
2 pages.

Topic: "How old is too old to be an Officer?":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,25862.0/nowap.html

1) Topic: "Too old to become an officer?";
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,90704.0/nowap.html

2) Topic: "Too old to become an officer?":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=90704.0

Topic: "Old"er" woman just starting out...":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=91066.25
6 pages.

Topic: "29 years old, full-time job - want to be a Reserves Officer...":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=101467.0

Topic: "what if you are a 40 yr old architect that wants to see duty?":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=101449.0
" i am a 40 yr old architect that has thought a lot about this and would be interested in joining the military."

Topic: "Looking for feedback from some old dogs that have re-joined the CF":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=87496.0
"I was accepted back into the Reserves at the ripe age of 52."

Topic: "47 year old female joining CF":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=92803.0

Topic: "old officer question":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=41488.0
"My worry would be my age. I am 35."

Topic: "Older is Better":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=52468.0
"The U.S. Army has discovered that since September 11, 2001,  the number of older recruits (over 30 years of age) has increased 92 percent."

Topic: "Older recruit 35+ success rate in BMQ?":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=80557.0

Topic: "For the older guys...":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=91797.0

Topic: "Older fellah thinking of joining reserves": 
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=33592.0

Topic: "Older Recruits?":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,18121.0/nowap.html
2 pages.

Topic: "Article about older recruits":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,17132.0/nowap.html

Topic: "older applicant";
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,44344.0/nowap.html

Topic: "Age Limits - Regular Force":
 http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,13210.0/nowap.html
"How old is too old to join the reg. forces?"
15 pages.

Topic: "Military mom set to join Army at age 41":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,48198.0/nowap.html

Topic: "recruitment ages and mandatory retirement":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,23446.0/nowap.html

Topic: "A 36 years youngwoman and going for it":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=98596.0
2 pages.

Topic: "Will an old guy get razzed?":
http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/index.php/topic,104081.0.html

[Pusser]

1. No, not at all. You were honourably discharged.

Not true by a long shot.  Unless one is discharged for disciplinary reasons (Items 1 and 2 of the Table to QR&O 15.01), all releases are honourable, but they do not necessarily allow re-enrolement.  QR&O 6.04 states:

(2) Subject to paragraph (5), the following persons shall not be enrolled in the Canadian Forces:

(b) unless special authority is obtained from the Chief of the Defence Staff, a person who has been released from the Canadian Forces, from any other of Her Majesty’s forces, from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or from any foreign force

(i) as medically unfit for further service,

(ii) for inefficiency, or

(iii) with a conduct assessment below “good” or the equivalent, other than a conduct assessment below “good” or the equivalent that was based upon conviction for which a pardon has been granted under the Criminal Records Act.

Washing out could certainly fall under "inefficiency" or a conduct assessment of less than "good."  The OP needs to check his release paperwork.  If released under Item 5d or 5f of the table to QR&O 15.01, re-enrolement is not impossible, but he will have some explaining to do to prove that the reasons for his release have been resolved.

[Kimchiburger]

Not true by a long shot.  Unless one is discharged for disciplinary reasons (Items 1 and 2 of the Table to QR&O 15.01), all releases are honourable, but they do not necessarily allow re-enrolement.  QR&O 6.04 states:

(2) Subject to paragraph (5), the following persons shall not be enrolled in the Canadian Forces:

(b) unless special authority is obtained from the Chief of the Defence Staff, a person who has been released from the Canadian Forces, from any other of Her Majesty’s forces, from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or from any foreign force

(i) as medically unfit for further service,

(ii) for inefficiency, or

(iii) with a conduct assessment below “good” or the equivalent, other than a conduct assessment below “good” or the equivalent that was based upon conviction for which a pardon has been granted under the Criminal Records Act.

Washing out could certainly fall under "inefficiency" or a conduct assessment of less than "good."  The OP needs to check his release paperwork.  If released under Item 5d or 5f of the table to QR&O 15.01, re-enrolement is not impossible, but he will have some explaining to do to prove that the reasons for his release have been resolved.

I'll reply to the rest later but I do remember being told that they wanted me to return to the service the next year when I was discharged. They said that I wasn't ready but they were confident that I would have done fine had I been a bit older.

I'm ten years older as it is, so hopefully they still don't hold that against me.

[SentryMAn]

Man. I'd rather be locked in a room with Tom Green, Jim Carry and Fran Drescher than hang out with 19 and 20 year olds.

That wouldn't be so bad...
Now if it were Nickelback we'd have a problem

[milnews.ca]

I sense several threads with similar theme - merged to put all the "older than the mean" info in one thread.

Milnet.ca Staff

[estoguy]

Reading everyone's responses with interest.

I'm 34 and looking at the DEO route.  Its not April yet, and have been told that most things open up around then.  I resubmitted by application last week and faxed by supporting docs to Sudbury yesterday.

From reading other threads around the forum, 30s definitely aren't too old, and you'll have a lot of things to your advantage too, life experience being a big one.  I work as a supply teacher right now, and I'm a father.  So if the younger recruits look to me for advice and/or leadership, I'd be happy to provide it.

Noticed on the Forces website that pilot applications are being accepted... will my age play a factor in that?  I'm in good health (including vision, no glasses) and hearing).  *IF* I could get into that, it would be a boyhood dream come true.  I think the only that could hold be back is size... I'm a big guy around 6'2'-6'3".  Anyone have any thoughts on that?

Hoping that infantry opens again as well.  Applied last year, but some processing delays prevented me from making the cut.

Another question, because I can't seem to find a definitive answer... NCS Eng, which sounds interesting and is demand... on the Forces website they don't list what kind of education you need going in.  I did watch a video on it that said you need a BSc, but I can't find anything that confirms that.

[AGD]

I think the only that could hold be back is size... I'm a big guy around 6'2'-6'3".  Anyone have any thoughts on that?

http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,39739.0.html