This 59-Year-Old Army BCT Grad Is About to Be the New Guy in His Son’s Unit

military.com ^

[AggregateThreat]

At 59, Staff Sgt. Monte Gould is the oldest-ever graduate of the Army's current Basic Combat Training Course, finishing Aug. 27 in the top 10% of his class. Now, a decade or two older than retirement age for most career soldiers, he's starting a new journey -- with plans to join his son, Spc. Jarrod Gould, in the 405th Civil Affairs Battalion's Las Vegas detachment.

In an Army news release, Staff Sgt. Gould spoke about the challenge of making it through the rigorous BCT, the Army's entry-level training course. A veteran of the Marine Corps and Army National Guard, Gould went through boot camp in 1978 -- more than four decades earlier.

[House Atreides]

“I bet Slo Joe would have no problem. lol”
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Of course not. He would challenge all the drill instructors to push up contests and IQ comparisons.

[AlaskaErik]

I didn’t realize the army was this desperate for new recruits.

[\/\/ayne]

It depends - if the military needs you all sorts of requirements get waived. Troops can get in a barfight and spend some time in the brig.

But during a drawdown you do one thing wrong and you're outa there! And every recruitment rule is followed!

Not really fair but that's life. I don't see how they could do it different.

[WASCWatch]

Policies are not laws, so there can always be exceptions.

[No.6]

>After serving until 2009, he once again hung up his uniform, prior Army and Marines. He came back this year, according to the release, because he’s two years shy of earning a military retirement pension.

That’s got it. As it was explained to me, the age limit is for the purpose of ensuring nobody goes in who can’t possibly earn a pension. Prior service goes into that.

At first I was confused too. Thanks! Now it’s more like a chapter from Starship Troopers (the book FFS, not the lame film)