PDA

View Full Version : McCain pushes measure to raise enlistment age



thedrifter
08-30-05, 01:16 PM
September 05, 2005
McCain pushes measure to raise enlistment age
By Rick Maze
Times staff writer

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has become the champion of 40-year-olds who dream of wearing a military uniform.

He is sponsoring an amendment to the 2006 defense authorization bill that contains a variety of proposals aimed at improving recruiting, including a Pentagon call to raise the maximum age for enlistment to 42.

He calls his plan the Military Recruiting Incentives Act of 2005.

Maximum enlistment age is now 35 for active duty and 39 for reserve forces.

McCain’s proposal applies only to active-duty enlistments.

Raising the age limit does not mean the services would suddenly take thousands of older recruits. Instead, the Defense Department asked to be able to recruit older people, such as linguists or other specialists, who have certain critically needed skills.

Generally, the services are expected to maintain their age guidelines that require new recruits in the Army and Navy to be 34 or younger. The Air Force generally requires recruits to be 28 or under, while the Marine Corps accepts recruits up to age 27.

Earlier this year, the Army changed its rules so that enlisted troops up to age 42 who have college degrees could apply for Officer Candidates School. Raising the age for enlistment is seen as a similar move that takes into account the possibility that some entry-level military jobs are suitable for older people.

Recruiting, retention package

The Pentagon unveiled the proposal July 19 before the House Armed Services Committee as part of a larger package of recruiting and retention incentives. By then, the House already had passed its version of the annual defense authorization bill, leaving any hope for approval this year to the Senate.

McCain is sponsoring some, but not all, of the Pentagon’s initiatives.

His amendment does not include an Army proposal to create a new home ownership incentive for recruits that would set aside up to $40,000 for a down payment on a home.

McCain’s amendment also would allow people with prior military service to receive a bonus for that service in addition to an enlistment or re-enlistment bonus, which is not possible under current law. At the same time, the maximum prior-service bonus would increase to $10,000, up from $6,000.

Ellie