July 19, 2005

http://www.armytimes.com/print.php?f=1-292925-983408.php

Uncle Sam wants you - even if you're 42 years old

By Rick Maze

Times staff writer

The Defense Department quietly asked Congress on Monday to raise the

maximum age for military recruits to 42 for all branches of the

service.

Under current law, the maximum age to enlist in the active components

is 35, while people up to age 39 may enlist in the reserves. By

practice, the accepted age for recruits is 27 for the Air Force, 28

for the Marine Corps and 34 for the Navy and Army, although the Army

Reserve and Navy Reserve sometimes take people up to age 39 in some

specialties.

The Pentagon's request to raise the maximum recruit age to 42 is part

of what defense officials are calling a package of "urgent wartime

support initiatives" sent to Congress Monday night prior to a Tuesday

hearing of the House Armed Services military personnel subcommittee.

At that hearing, David S.C. Chu, under secretary of defense for

personnel and readiness, said he felt the military's recent problems

with recruiting were improving, but that additional incentives would

help.

Chu mentioned the age change in passing during the hearing but gave no

other details, such as whether any of the services were seriously

considering recruiting 42-year-olds.

Most of the initiatives in the package were previously requested by

the Bush administration as part of the 2006 defense budget, which is

pending before Congress. They include raising the maximum

re-enlistment bonus to ,000; maximum hardship duty pay to 0 a

month; special pay and incentive bonuses for nuclear qualified

officers to ,000; assignment incentive pay to ,000; and

increasing accession and affiliation bonuses for reservists.

The request, not yet approved by the White House, also asks lawmakers

to revise some benefits proposals already before Congress.

For example, the Bush administration originally asked Congress to

increase enlistment bonuses to ,000, but the Pentagon now wants

bonuses of up to ,000.

The administration also asked for an Army-only test of a ,000

referral bonus that would be paid to current soldiers if they get

someone to enter the Army and make it through basic and advanced

training. Now, the Pentagon wants that payment to be ,500.

The request also includes a new Army initiative that officials are

calling the Army Home Ownership program. It would set aside money for

new recruits that could be used to buy a home at the end of an

enlistment, an idea that Army officials believe will help convince

parents and other "adult influencers" of service-age youths about the

benefits of joining the military.

Lawmakers are sympathetic to the need to do more. Rep. John McHugh,

R-N.Y., said he is willing to look at new pay-and-benefits

initiatives, although he personally believes that what the Pentagon

needs is an increase in personnel to cut the workload on active and

reserve service member.

Rep. Vic Snyder of Arkansas, the subcommittee's ranking Democrat, also

vowed to help.

"Recruitment is a challenge right now," Snyder said. "Both the

military and Congress are working on solutions, but I expect these

challenges will be with us for some time. Military service is

honorable and can be a real growing opportunity for a young man or

woman."