There is a greater debate in Britain than in America over the minimum enlistment age of boys into the military perhaps because the age is so low in the United Kingdom. Surely this should apply to an equally dangerous scenario with even greater potential harm to the underage person. There are many aspects of law where certain individuals such as underage girls and more recently, boys, are incapable of consent. The United States will allow enlistment of a seventeen year old teenager into their military with parental consent and eighteen year old without that consent. If soldiers are serving their country at fifty or fifty-five there should be no bar on enlistment. Similarly, if persons of advanced age are already serving in country in combat zones, there can be no reason to deny access to experienced volunteers at elevated pay despite diminished rank. There can be no argument that the large investment over time in the very capable non-commissioned officer ranks in all branches of service should justify opportunities for extension of service by the willing for the needy. The military is rarely this nimble except in the cases of urgent manpower shortage. It is a clear example of the law of supply and demand. It was stated that this was part of a plan to reduce the regular Army by bolstering the number of Reservists. The announcement included references to older soldiers sharing knowledge and experience as well as widening the recruitment pool. The UK Ministry of Defence raised the enlistment age limit for its Army Reserve in November 2014 to 52 from 43, individuals with specific qualifications or experience 45 to 50. Army announced in 2006 that they were increasing the maximum enlistment age to forty-two years old, the second time in six months having previously raised it to 40 years old. In a version of the moving goal post of necessity the U.S. The enlistment age restrictions for the Army, Navy and Marines are 35, 34 and 28. The U.S, Military seems to agree with the concept of older recruits with a policy change by the Air Force in June 2014 when the maximum age for enlistment was raised from 27 to 39 years of age.

Us army enlisted ranks 1870