[Closed] Joining the Army in your 30's

I left almost 10 years ago and some guys I know who left around the same time as my have rejoined in the last 2 years, probably only around 32-34. I don't think either have any kids though.

Big/tough decision though mate.

I've recently been told I have skills highly valued by the Army

...the ability to hold a gun?

I thought it was about 27 but they've upped it lately. If I were you I'd try the TA first at least.

what career area have you been offered? - choices are limited after 32 (28 for officer entry)

bruneep - I've been in the army for 18 years, if all I had to think about was "holding a gun" I'd have got bored and left long ago. It is actually an interesting,varied and rewarding career - granted there is a bit of "take the rough with the smooth".

Would I join at 38 with 2 kids, only if I knew my wife could handle being thrown into a completely different, sometimes lonely and often very worrying life. Also depends on your "trade" within the army - you really do not want to be anywhere near the front line joining at that age.....

shooterman, mail me if you like and I'll bore you to death, sorry, give any advice I can.

Hey Mark,
If you are who I think you are (former marin enthusiast?)
How's things, you back at the squadron/regt? 59/24?

59/24?

Engr?

green type, yup.

shooterman - are you a vicar, doctor, dentist, nurse or lawyer? Hard to see many other areas with such a short route to being an officer.

Depends on the role and fitness test-Doctors 41 ish etc.

Backhander, it is indeed me, now at 33 EOD, living the biking dream in flat, boring Essex. Seanoc - yes an Engr, all the best looking people are!

Funny this should come up now... I'm most of the way through doing the same thing myself. The Mrs. and I have no kids yet, but we do have two dogs, so not such a huge strain.

At 35, I decided to join a specialist unit so that I can use my civvie skills in an army context and will, hopefully, be going through the PQO course soon. As long as the medical went well of course.

Already passed both the technical and the commissioning boards, so that's the final hurdle.

There are other branches than just the usual vicars and tarts...

Yes Tootall, I'm one of those.

Wimbish, flat as a witches tit. I was there back in 95. riding around the airfield gets boring pretty quickly.

personally i wouldnt bother at that age esp with kids. Guess it depends on age of kids and the specialist skill your taking with you. How likely you are to be sent from pillar to post. After leaving the forces i reapplied for the marines when i got a bit bored in the fire service. But tried a new station before taking the jump and im glad i did as id hate to be away from the kids again . Tho tours away are great fun 🙂

I'm a lawyer so it would be army legal service for me.

I got talking to a major in the recruiting office in a case I was doing for a young guy who DAOR'd and wanted back in. He told me the skills I was brinign with me could lead to discretion being exercised with regard to the upper age limit.

I'm not so sure it will be that much of a wrench for me to leave home if you get my drift.

shooterman- you'd still take a salary-hit though wouldnt you?

What length commission? 3yrs? Then yes, longer...hmmmmm

Given that you are in one of the golden professions join the TA. Then you can taste life and decide if it's for you plus if you enjoy it but don't want to take the full plunge you can still have some fun along the way.

A bit of a salary hit yes. If I can get to major asap it won't be too bad.

I'm worried about getting older in the TA and missing the boat for the regular army. There's also the complication that I'm in NI.

Do you mind killing someone?

How would you feel about receiving an order than means you have a good chance of being killed? - would you be thinking of the partner and kids moving on through life without you?

Can you give your life to support wars and actions that you don't agree with (as in the case of the gulf, which most of the UK population didn't agree with)?

Are you comfortable with your partner and kids being expected to move around the country/world at the government's whim? Its for your benefit more than thiers, while while they possibly get to be rootless, your partner has no career, your kids are never really settled and might grow up having no steady friendships or associations? I worked with someone who bitterly regretted subjegating her life and that of her children to her husbands needs, which led to resentment.
How do your family feel about your possible work choice - and are they being honest with you?

Just thoughts.

I appreciate people in the military who do offer their lives and take risks and do good as well as questionable things. But its not an 'alone' decision when people have partners who did not buy into that regime at an early point in life, or you have kids with no control about being moved around the world. Taking the military choice is not the same as when in your teens and single. I am sure there are pluses, but there are many negative too, mostly for your family?

Good luck whatever you choose.

Midnighthour - Member
Do you mind killing someone?

Hardly likely given the role he is applying for..

I did 12 years, and while I loved it, there is no way I'd go back.

Spent most of my time on "interesting" ops, and like Mick says, being away is all part of the fun..

However, with a wife and kids, well, that will take some of the shine off it..

The amount of mariges that fail due to the guys being away is imennse...

TA like people have said, would give you the best of both worlds..

Good luck with it all whatever you choose.

Go well.

midnight hour - good stuff there - well off the mark for this man - but good stuff - for a rambling semi rant.

shooter - it depends what your motivation would be for joining and what you think you'd get out of it. There certainly are some fascinating legal aspects to the Armed Forces, if you like the international laws of armed conflict etc - and plenty of travel to unpleasant places for extended periods of time. Or doing what you are doing - advising young squaddies - but in a slightly different office wearing a uniform.

Think hard about what you want out of it - many guys in the Armed Forces are desiring a bit of stability by the time they are approaching your age - or their family are. That is a hard place to be.

Some great advice there. I don't see myself storming Taliban strongholds.

It's the combination of my desire to join the military and use my legal training.

Exactly the same thing with using my skills and the army wanting them.

I fully expect _never_ to see a battlefield from the front line, but I do expect to be able to help the front line troops in whatever way I can.

I won't have to move around the country, or subject my fiancee to numerous breaks in her career and, in some strange way, it may well give me stability instead of taking it away.

If you want to join the Army, don't wait, do it

Be aware though you won't be doing anything in the way of greeny warry stuff in the ALS. You'll also be regarded as a failed civvie lawyer 😀

If he gets in as a PQO, then it will be Captain Failed Civvie-Lawyer sir.

Has a certain ring to it I guess...

Failed civvie lawyer my ass. That's like saying everyone who joins the army does so because they are failed individuals who have to be insitutionalised.

Sorry, I should have added a smiley to the end of that!

Seriously though, go for it. I'm glad I am and I am really looking forward to starting with my unit.

Marky B!
I'd have thought that you'd be at 24 doing the Commando bit with the new regt up and running.
33 any good? You manage to get into the cdo troop or stuck with the hats? Still got all of your fingers?
RE MTBers; looking for good no-finger brakes!