US Army forcing the oldest, enlisted serviceman to retire while deployed

[Nebor]

http://www.usacapoc.army.mil/news/59PSY/59PSY.html

Cliffs:
59 year old SSG fought back the crowds as a marine in the Embassy in Saigon, jumped on the second to last helicopter out, went to college, medical school, then joined the US Army Reserve as a psy ops soldier, deployed to the Korengal and Pech Valleys in 2005, then to Northern Iraq, and now back to Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Also, he runs a 12 minute two-mile and he's trying to keep the Army from forcing him to retire by earning a commission in the Medical Corps.

Incredible life he's lead.

 

[Macamus Prime]

It's more trying to keep people from getting killed. I'm taking the spot of some 19-year-old.

This man is the greatest person I have read about.

 

[Nebor]

This man is the greatest person I have read about.

Yeah, I found that line pretty moving too.

 

[cwjerome]

We always like to say we train to standard, not to time, maybe it should read "We train to standard, not to age"

Sounds like a helluva dude.

 

[Zebo]

Helluva dude but Crazy. When I'm 60 I want to be fishing with my grandkids not trekking through the bush & getting shot at. YMMV.

 

[Texashiker]

Holy crap, the guy is 59 years old and runs 2 miles in 12 minutes?

 

[EagleKeeper]

US Army forcing the oldest, enlisted serviceman to retire while deployed

Enlisted are not allowed in afterthey put in their 30.
Very few commissioned officers get more than 30 unless they are senior flag or as stated, Medcial

 

[cwjerome]

Very few commissioned officers get more than 30 unless they are senior flag or as stated, Medical

Of course this is true, the doctors at all the MEPS are at least 75 years old

 

[Ausm]

Damn and I thought my buddy was the oldest one in active military SSG 49 with 16 tours of duty.

 

[Nebor]

Of course this is true, the doctors at all the MEPS are at least 75 years old

Those guys have seen a LOT of balls.

 

[kage69]

"It's really not a fascination with war itself," Sgt. Nicholas explains. "It's more trying to keep people from getting killed. I'm taking the spot of some 19-year-old."





Definitely one of those things you read now and then that just smacks your thought process silly.

 

[Lemon law]

Sgt. Nicholas someone impresses even an antiwar liberal such as myself. There is somewhat something inherently stupid in an army that would force someone with that legacy of experience to retire.

Or we can turn it somewhat on the flip side and ask, what positive has Sgt. Nicholas ever accomplished while still sucking on the tit of the American taxpayer?

Its one thing to be gung ho after Vietnam, but being a gung ho army guy did not buy us a win in Vietnam, and in fact gung ho stupidity did much to buy the USA a loss in Vietnam.

And then we can also ask, if Sgt. Nicholas experience and thinking was such a valuable asset to our military, why did Sgt. Nicholas never get promoted to an officer in recognition of his value, at any point in his overly long military career? The fact that such a notion never ever occurred to any officers above him speaks volumes about his dubious value as a soldier.

But point granted Nebor, Sgt. Nicholas can run 2 miles in 12 minutes, so can the average army mule, but mules never get any recognition for brainpower or diplomacy. Nor did anyone ever evaluate Charles Granger or Linde England on how fast they could run, even if they were younger and had less US army army seniority. So is Sgt. Nicholas an US army asset or a liability, as I have to wonder which is the case?

 

[Nebor]

And then we can also ask, if Sgt. Nicholas experience and thinking was such a valuable asset to our military, why did Sgt. Nicholas never get promoted to an officer in recognition of his value, at any point in his overly long military career?

You clearly know a lot about how the US Army works.

Your understanding of the Army, the world and the article are so poor that I don't even feel like pointing out everything wrong with what you said. Maybe tomorrow. Or maybe someone else will have done it by then.

 

[Lemon law]

You clearly know a lot about how the US Army works.

Your understanding of the Army, the world and the article are so poor that I don't even feel like pointing out everything wrong with what you said. Maybe tomorrow. Or maybe someone else will have done it by then.

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You have a lot of damn gall Nebor, as American tax payers we spend too much on our military, and when twits like you act like aholes, and alienate the very citizens of the nations we try to help, you are damn right, I and others will question the behavior of our military for failing to deliver positive results.

Being too gung ho is not a virtue, its an in fact a counterproductive vice that no amount of American taxpayer money can cure.

The very same questions I asked about SGT Nichols should also be asked about you and the very idiot generals and politicians you serve. As you have failed to deliver any positive results in Afghanistan and its due to your own stinking thinking.

 

[Zebo]

nm What's the point.

 

[trenchfoot]

A bunch of my fellow retirees out of the military who were let go because of the age 60 limit (for enlisted Guard tech's) felt they still had at least five more good years in which they could serve well and really did not want to retire at the time they turned 60. And, military fitness requirements have kept them in great condition right up to the age limit.

As we live longer and healthier, I really feel like the age limit should be raised to 65, just like SS age requirements have been progressively raised.

As has been mentioned in so many ways, "Youth and strength is no match against wisened old age and treachery".

Kudos to SSG. Nicholas for his service and for the great shape he keeps himself in.

 

[PeshakJang]

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You have a lot of damn gall Nebor, as American tax payers we spend too much on our military, and when twits like you act like aholes, and alienate the very citizens of the nations we try to help, you are damn right, I and others will question the behavior of our military for failing to deliver positive results.

Being too gung ho is not a virtue, its an in fact a counterproductive vice that no amount of American taxpayer money can cure.

The very same questions I asked about SGT Nichols should also be asked about you and the very idiot generals and politicians you serve. As you have failed to deliver any positive results in Afghanistan and its due to your own stinking thinking.

It's ok LL.. Nobody expected much more from you to begin with.

 

[cwjerome]

Sgt. Nicholas someone impresses even an antiwar liberal such as myself. There is somewhat something inherently stupid in an army that would force someone with that legacy of experience to retire.

Or we can turn it somewhat on the flip side and ask, what positive has Sgt. Nicholas ever accomplished while still sucking on the tit of the American taxpayer?

Its one thing to be gung ho after Vietnam, but being a gung ho army guy did not buy us a win in Vietnam, and in fact gung ho stupidity did much to buy the USA a loss in Vietnam.

And then we can also ask, if Sgt. Nicholas experience and thinking was such a valuable asset to our military, why did Sgt. Nicholas never get promoted to an officer in recognition of his value, at any point in his overly long military career? The fact that such a notion never ever occurred to any officers above him speaks volumes about his dubious value as a soldier.

But point granted Nebor, Sgt. Nicholas can run 2 miles in 12 minutes, so can the average army mule, but mules never get any recognition for brainpower or diplomacy. Nor did anyone ever evaluate Charles Granger or Linde England on how fast they could run, even if they were younger and had less US army army seniority. So is Sgt. Nicholas an US army asset or a liability, as I have to wonder which is the case?

This post is pretty fucked up.

LL managed to:
say the SSG sucked the tit of the American taxpayer
question the SSG accomplishments
imply he was gung-ho and therefore stupid
questioned his value to the military
wonder why he was never promoted to officer (lol at that)
suggest those above him were idiots
berated him for being a good runner
implied he was an unthinking mule
wonder if the SSG was a liability or an asset (again)

Wow, LL does it again, unbound ignorance and warped speculation on display. Garbage. I am actually embarrassed and ashamed for people like you, I thought we moved pass the whole vietnam-soldier-hate thing.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

http://www.usacapoc.army.mil/news/59PSY/59PSY.html

Cliffs:
59 year old SSG fought back the crowds as a marine in the Embassy in Saigon, jumped on the second to last helicopter out, went to college, medical school, then joined the US Army Reserve as a psy ops soldier, deployed to the Korengal and Pech Valleys in 2005, then to Northern Iraq, and now back to Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Also, he runs a 12 minute two-mile and he's trying to keep the Army from forcing him to retire by earning a commission in the Medical Corps.

Incredible life he's lead.

Wow, that's an understatement. I'd like to have a few beers with this guy.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

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You have a lot of damn gall Nebor, as American tax payers we spend too much on our military, and when twits like you act like aholes, and alienate the very citizens of the nations we try to help, you are damn right, I and others will question the behavior of our military for failing to deliver positive results.

Being too gung ho is not a virtue, its an in fact a counterproductive vice that no amount of American taxpayer money can cure.

The very same questions I asked about SGT Nichols should also be asked about you and the very idiot generals and politicians you serve. As you have failed to deliver any positive results in Afghanistan and its due to your own stinking thinking.

You are one sorry sack of shit. Why don't you and McOwned move to Somalia and make anti-American babies.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Or we can turn it somewhat on the flip side and ask, what positive has Sgt. Nicholas ever accomplished while still sucking on the tit of the American taxpayer?

I'm embarrassed that you live in my home state.

 

[Thump553]

While I respect the guy, I'm 58 and been in decent shape my entire life, and I can tell you from personal experience that a late 50's body doesn't function anywhere near the peak level of a 19 yo. The Army's policy of getting such people off the front line makes a whole lot of sense to me.

 

[alent1234]

And then we can also ask, if Sgt. Nicholas experience and thinking was such a valuable asset to our military, why did Sgt. Nicholas never get promoted to an officer in recognition of his value, at any point in his overly long military career? The fact that such a notion never ever occurred to any officers above him speaks volumes about his dubious value as a soldier.

?

duh, because you can't just get promoted to an officer except under very extreme conditions. there is an application process and a special school you have to attend that has strict age limits

 

[Nebor]

While I respect the guy, I'm 58 and been in decent shape my entire life, and I can tell you from personal experience that a late 50's body doesn't function anywhere near the peak level of a 19 yo. The Army's policy of getting such people off the front line makes a whole lot of sense to me.

This guy is still blowing away APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test) standards for a the 19 year old at 59, and completing long foot movements in mountainous, high elevation terrain. Also he's serving in a Special Forces branch, so he had to go through airborne school.

 

[Nebor]

I'm glad we can all agree that LL isn't even worth talking to.