WHERE ARE ALL THE BUSH PATRIOTS?, II

Army raises age limit to 42 for junior officer candidates
By Tom Bowman Tribune Newspapers: The Baltimore Sun
21 minutes ago
6/8/05
http://news.yahoo.com/s/chitribts/20050609/ts_chicagotrib/armyraisesagelimitto42forjuniorofficercandidates;_ylt=AqeS5utDorRMCYY1wuUzl6rpbr8F;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl


Faced with a need to expand the Army and ease recruitment problems, Army officials have decided to loosen the requirements for junior officer candidates--accepting prospects who exceed the current age limit by more than a decade, and permitting more flexibility to waive minor criminal or civil offenses, according to a memo obtained by The Baltimore Sun.

The May 25 memo, sent to division commanders and other generals, said the Army hopes to attract 300 soldiers up to age 42 to attend Officer Candidate School and become second lieutenants. Using the same age criteria, they also hope to attract an additional 300 civilians with college degrees as officer candidates. The Army National Guard and Army Reserve are working on similar programs, according to the memo.

The new criteria establish a clear departure from current rules, which state an applicant should not reach "your 29th birthday prior to training" and be in "good moral standing." The average age for an Officer Candidate School graduate is 27, Army officials said.

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert Scales Jr., former commandant of the Army War College, said the "seemingly endless" U.S.-led military mission in Iraq may be having an impact on the officer corps.