Originally Posted by box-of-frogs

WTF was he doing in the Army at 60 yrs old!?!?!?

Just a couple of days ago there was an article in the papers here (US) about a man who joined at 61 and immediately deployed. He had prior service and is a surgeon. He had to be re-commissioned. If I recall correctly he was commissioned as either a LtCol or Col. He is heading a surgical unit.

Most of the quite senior types are the same age range. I know the Army Chief of Staff is 60.

Originally Posted by DavidBOC

Originally Posted by box-of-frogs

WTF was he doing in the Army at 60 yrs old!?!?!?

Just a couple of days ago there was an article in the papers here (US) about a man who joined at 61 and immediately deployed. He had prior service and is a surgeon. He had to be re-commissioned. If I recall correctly he was commissioned as either a LtCol or Col. He is heading a surgical unit.

Most of the quite senior types are the same age range. I know the Army Chief of Staff is 60.

Fair one - surgeons i can understand. I just had it in my head that he was a teeth arm.

Originally Posted by box-of-frogs

Originally Posted by DavidBOC

Originally Posted by box-of-frogs

WTF was he doing in the Army at 60 yrs old!?!?!?

Just a couple of days ago there was an article in the papers here (US) about a man who joined at 61 and immediately deployed. He had prior service and is a surgeon. He had to be re-commissioned. If I recall correctly he was commissioned as either a LtCol or Col. He is heading a surgical unit.

Most of the quite senior types are the same age range. I know the Army Chief of Staff is 60.

Fair one - surgeons i can understand. I just had it in my head that he was a teeth arm.

Me too - I had brief visions of a very old infanteer for a second.

As a Major even in an Infantry Batallion he could have secured himself a fairly REMFish job. He would have never been first man out the back of the warrior with the extra smoke now would he.

It seems clear he certainly couldn't have been sending his washing forward if he was killed by an IED.

Alot of respect for a man who didn't throw the towel in. If I reach 55 and still have any uniform thats green and fits me something has gone horribly wrong.

He was Teeth Arm

The Major was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division based out of Fort Riley, Kan.

He was Serving as a Mitt team leader advising the Iraqi Army, not a doctor.

We can Serve until 62 in most cases, 65 for Officers. My hootchmate in Iraq was a 59 year old Combat Engineer serving as an Infantryman due to shortages at the time of the Task Forces Forming. "Grandpa" DOM(Dirty Old Man) could outrun half the 20 year olds.

SSG. C was also a Vietnam vet (2AD 2/1CAV) and carried an M14 Rifle almost exclusively. We also had our former 1SG. (1ID 1966) Show up as a Liason NCO after we were in Baghdad. He had been relieved by the Battalion Cdr. for being too old, volunteered, and arrived with 42nd Division in Nov 2004. The Only old timer we knew who wasnt able to go was SFC. Pappy (3 tours Vietnam- 1st as a Navy Seabee, 2 as Army Infantry. Also Vet of Grenada, Panama, GW1, Somalia). He was 63 they retired him and he immediately tried to join a Reserve USN CB outfit and claim he was younger.

Right now I know of a CWO5 who is a Blackhawk Pilot who was downed 5 times in Vietnam flying Medevac and has the DFC w/ OLC, he's at Balad flying Medevac again.

RIP your mates, but when someone tells me they are a Grenada Vet, I just want to laugh.

Originally Posted by Goldbricker

He was Teeth Arm

The Major was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division based out of Fort Riley, Kan.

He was Serving as a Mitt team leader advising the Iraqi Army, not a doctor.

We can Serve until 62 in most cases, 65 for Officers. My hootchmate in Iraq was a 59 year old Combat Engineer serving as an Infantryman due to shortages at the time of the Task Forces Forming. "Grandpa" DOM(Dirty Old Man) could outrun half the 20 year olds.

SSG. C was also a Vietnam vet (2AD 2/1CAV) and carried an M14 Rifle almost exclusively. We also had our former 1SG. (1ID 1966) Show up as a Liason NCO after we were in Baghdad. He had been relieved by the Battalion Cdr. for being too old, volunteered, and arrived with 42nd Division in Nov 2004. The Only old timer we knew who wasnt able to go was SFC. Pappy (3 tours Vietnam- 1st as a Navy Seabee, 2 as Army Infantry. Also Vet of Grenada, Panama, GW1, Somalia). He was 63 they retired him and he immediately tried to join a Reserve USN CB outfit and claim he was younger.

Right now I know of a CWO5 who is a Blackhawk Pilot who was downed 5 times in Vietnam flying Medevac and has the DFC w/ OLC, he's at Balad flying Medevac again.

Some characters there! Thank you.

Originally Posted by Pararegtom

RIP your mates, but when someone tells me they are a Grenada Vet, I just want to laugh.

I'm sure you do

However, it was a combat deployment much as Suez was. And there were almost equal amounts of casualties for both my forces and yours, but I dont try to disparage your comrades at every turn.

RIP proud to of served alongside such hero's

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

Originally Posted by The_Cheat

A Vietnam War veteran killed in an Iraq roadside bombing this week has become the oldest American service member to be killed in both Iraq and Afghan combat,

He was killed in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Blame CNN, not me! I would have added some punctuation in there...

But still, fair play for a bus pass holder!

T C