Am I too old, fat, or fit in? 2001 to 2016

[Kimchiburger]

Not true by a long shot.  Unless one is discharged for disciplinary reasons (Items 1 and 2 of the Table to QR&O 15.01), all releases are honourable, but they do not necessarily allow re-enrolement.  QR&O 6.04 states:

(2) Subject to paragraph (5), the following persons shall not be enrolled in the Canadian Forces:

(b) unless special authority is obtained from the Chief of the Defence Staff, a person who has been released from the Canadian Forces, from any other of Her Majesty’s forces, from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or from any foreign force

(i) as medically unfit for further service,

(ii) for inefficiency, or

(iii) with a conduct assessment below “good” or the equivalent, other than a conduct assessment below “good” or the equivalent that was based upon conviction for which a pardon has been granted under the Criminal Records Act.

Washing out could certainly fall under "inefficiency" or a conduct assessment of less than "good."  The OP needs to check his release paperwork.  If released under Item 5d or 5f of the table to QR&O 15.01, re-enrolement is not impossible, but he will have some explaining to do to prove that the reasons for his release have been resolved.

I'll reply to the rest later but I do remember being told that they wanted me to return to the service the next year when I was discharged. They said that I wasn't ready but they were confident that I would have done fine had I been a bit older.

I'm ten years older as it is, so hopefully they still don't hold that against me.

 

[SentryMAn]

Man. I'd rather be locked in a room with Tom Green, Jim Carry and Fran Drescher than hang out with 19 and 20 year olds.

That wouldn't be so bad...
Now if it were Nickelback we'd have a problem

 

[The Bread Guy]

:crystalball:

I sense several threads with similar theme - merged to put all the "older than the mean" info in one thread.

Milnet.ca Staff

 

[estoguy]

Reading everyone's responses with interest.

I'm 34 and looking at the DEO route.  Its not April yet, and have been told that most things open up around then.  I resubmitted by application last week and faxed by supporting docs to Sudbury yesterday.

From reading other threads around the forum, 30s definitely aren't too old, and you'll have a lot of things to your advantage too, life experience being a big one.  I work as a supply teacher right now, and I'm a father.  So if the younger recruits look to me for advice and/or leadership, I'd be happy to provide it.

Noticed on the Forces website that pilot applications are being accepted... will my age play a factor in that?  I'm in good health (including vision, no glasses) and hearing).  *IF* I could get into that, it would be a boyhood dream come true.  I think the only that could hold be back is size... I'm a big guy around 6'2'-6'3".  Anyone have any thoughts on that?

Hoping that infantry opens again as well.  Applied last year, but some processing delays prevented me from making the cut.

Another question, because I can't seem to find a definitive answer... NCS Eng, which sounds interesting and is demand... on the Forces website they don't list what kind of education you need going in.  I did watch a video on it that said you need a BSc, but I can't find anything that confirms that.

 

[AGD]

I think the only that could hold be back is size... I'm a big guy around 6'2'-6'3".  Anyone have any thoughts on that?

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/39739.0.html

 

[Grasshopper9]

Good day to all!

What do you think?  What do you suggest?

Applied June 24, 2012 Ottawa recruiting center
My first choice was Resource Management Support Clerk but the recruiter told me even with my high school diploma and in office experience. I was missing Math 436.

So I applied for:
Army: Postal Clerk, Traffic Technician, supply Technician
I am 43 years young, female and I'm having problem to do my push ups,what can I do to get upper body strength  and does anyone have a good fitness  program  that I can follow to get me ready for test..

Thank you  and take care!
Grasshopper 

 

[Sythen]

For push ups, what I suggested for my little sister (who was not able to do any and is now up to 5 or so) was to try negatives. Basically start in the "up" position and lower yourself as slow as humanly possible.. As in if it takes you 10+ seconds to be down to the ground then that is good.. The longer you can hold yourself up the better.. Soonish you will be able to start doing them normally and can just do repetition from there.

 

[PrettyMaggie63]

Negative pushups will help, and I found doing "girl pushups" (I don't like that term)to help too, the ones you do on you knees instead of your toes. If you attend a gym, there is a machine (not sure what it is called) that has a platform to stand on and you can set the weights to increase or decrease the resistance and do chin ups/pull ups (or reverse, I call them push downs). Using it really helped my upper body strength. Also, try using a wall and do them vertically instead of horizontally.
At 43 are you too old? I sure hope not, I've got 6 years on you so I would be totally out of luck. You will be able to offer skills that many younger people don't have, and they can help you out in areas where you aren't as strong.
For RMS Clerk you do need academic level math, but check to make sure you have the requirements for supply tech, I was told the bar had been raised for that trade substantially. If you don't have what you need for RMS, you may not have what you need for supply.

 

[estoguy]

I started the process last year and 34, and from comments I've read from here and from people I've met along the way, I certainly didn't feel like I was "too old".

Something else to help with push ups... if you are doing exercises like the bench press, with either dumbells or a bar, I read a great article in Men's Health that suggested doing the lift quickly, but the negative slowly (aim for around 2 s. on the negative). I started doing that in my workouts and it has certainly paid off.

 

[Grasshopper9]

Wow! Thank you for the replies.

Will be starting push up training today with the rest of my training.

Take care!

 

[SurvivorRye]

This thread has been one big motivator.  I've wanted to serve for as long as I can remember, it has just never seemed to have been an option.  I may have the chance to pull it off soon.  My wife and I pay our mortgage and joining would be a paycut from my current job, so it's kind of taken the back-burner up until this point in my life.  I hope this all comes together, I would love this challenge and the chance to give back and do something more worthwhile.  Thanks for the words of inspiration to this 30 year old guy.

 

[Probie]

I was reading something on the ND website that an individual can re enlist as long as there is enough time to complete the term they signed up for before reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60.

My question is this...being 55 if I try to re enlist where on the food chain will I start, and will I be accepted that close to retirement age, and what about the new retirement age laws...have they not changed? When I left the service I was a corporal in the infantry and had just returned from Cyprus.

 

[MikeL]

My question is this...being 55 if I try to re enlist where on the food chain will I start,

Depends on what the PLAR grants you,  but there is a time limit.  If you go past 5 years(?) you can start at Pte(Recruit) and have to go through basic training again.

A few years ago(around '06) I know a former Infantry MCpl with close to 10 years being out was able to get back in to the Infantry as a MCpl.  How ever another guy(also rejoined Infantry) with 10 years out had to start out as a Private(Recruit) again,  he had a few tours, was a Sgt, etc.

and what about the new retirement age laws...have they not changed?

What specifically are you referring to?

When I left the service I was a corporal in the infantry and had just returned from Cyprus.

When you rejoin(if you decide to) you may start out as a Private Recruit with a medal(s) - will get you some strange looks when you are seen in DEUs.

 

[Probie]

Thanks for the fast reply Skeletor

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/legislation-ends-mandatory-retirement-213925701.html

Federally regulated employees in Canada will no longer be forced into retirement because of their age, thanks to new legislation signed into law last week.
According to an article in the National Post, the Harper government has "quietly" repealed the section of the Canadian Human Rights Act that required wor

Not nuts about starting over from the bottom...but it could be interesting. Anyway here is the age law.

 

[fraserdw]

If you can do it, go for it.  But the infantry now is way way tougher physically than the infantry I joined at the end of the 70s!  By the way, my basic officer in 95 had a 54 year old on it who carried his own and a ruck belonging to one of our ladies for 80% of the BFT.  Be ready physically.

 

[Jarnhamar]

IMO your previous service experience, experience stemming from your age and your maturity would be better utilized in a trade vice the combat arms coming in as an NCM.

 

[JorgSlice]

Thanks for the fast reply Skeletor

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/legislation-ends-mandatory-retirement-213925701.html

Not nuts about starting over from the bottom...but it could be interesting. Anyway here is the age law.

That more applies to Public and Private sector occupations, not so much the CF.

A few years ago they increased the CF Compulsory Retirement Age from 55 to 60 (60 to 65 for CIC/COATS), although the maximum age for enrolment depends on your training requirements and the length of the VIE (Variable Initial Engagement). For instance, you apply at 57 for a trade that requires a 4 year VIE, well... they'll tell you you're too old and to find either another trade or you're S.O.L.

 

[Probie]

Returning as an NCM might be the solution although I am not sure what the training payoff is and if there is a sufficient amount of time between acceptance and retirement age.

Thanks for the info on the new retirement age limit, I felt it would apply to all work forces.

 

[Probie]

Question I have been going over the dnd page...do they still have housing for married personel ? When I was in the service we had a 3 bedroom pmq. I see they still pay for moves....what about meals and rooms when you are in training?

 

[MikeL]

Question I have been going over the dnd page...do they still have housing for married personel ? When I was in the service we had a 3 bedroom pmq.

Yes PMQs still exist,  and some are probably still in the same condition now as they were when you had one.

what about meals and rooms when you are in training?

If you are single you pay rations and quarters,  as far as I know if you are married you do not pay R&Q - but I could be wrong,  recently the CF stopped paying rations and quarters(or maybe it was only rations?) for married members on IR.  I am sure there is a large thread regarding this topic.

Also,  if you have time on Monday it would probably be in your best interest to call the CFRC.