Posted on 03/03/2006 10:24:47 PM PST by neverdem
Jeff Lizotte, 36, intends to take advantage of the Army's new maximum age for enlistment, raised in January from 34 to 39. He sees it as a new opportunity, even though there's a good chance he'll be sent to Iraq.
Unless someone beats him to it, Jeff Lizotte is set to make a little history.
He plans to enlist in the Army, which isn't particularly noteworthy until you consider his age. Lizotte's goal is to head to boot camp next year, after he turns 37.
That would have been impossible two months ago. But in January, Congress raised the maximum age of Army enlistment from 34 to 39. Lizotte, local recruiters say, could be the first to take advantage of the new policy in the region that includes Washington, Alaska and parts of Idaho. His decision to sign up, possibly for a four-year tour, came after years of contemplation and career choices that didn't always measure up to his expectations.
That's pretty common for people in their 30s who are thinking about military service, said Staff Sgt. Brenda Milewski, who recruited Lizotte.
"They're tired of stumbling," Milewski said. "When I see someone soul-searching through the years, it's time to make a change."
Lifestyle change is one thing. Possibly dying in combat is another, but Milewski always makes clear to prospective enlistees: Chances are, you're going to Iraq.
Traditionally, most new recruits are 19 or 20 years old. Raising the enlistment age is part of a national strategy aimed at increasing the number of new soldiers, particularly after the Army fell short of its recruitment goals last year.
In December, the Army selected a new advertising firm in a deal potentially worth $1.35 billion. It also increased the number of recruiters around the country.
Ultimately, the decision to join the military is uniquely personal, and Lizotte's story illustrates the path that leads a 36-year-old to do something his parents call crazy.
"They say, 'So — have you watched the news lately?' " said Lizotte. For the record, he has.
One pound over the limit
Lizotte is a stocky guy who needs to lose one pound to comply with the Army weight regulations of 189 pounds for a man 5 feet 10 inches. He lives in West Seattle and works at a furniture store for about $10 an hour. He doesn't have health insurance or a car.
Unmarried, he has three daughters; the two teenagers live in Vancouver, Wash., but he's not sure of the whereabouts of his 9-year-old after her mother moved without telling him.
An unresolved $425 fine for negligent driving in April 2001 is the only thing that stops him from enlisting right now, he said. The Army won't let you use a signing bonus to pay tickets or restitution.
After dropping out of Montesano High School, Lizotte earned a GED from Grays Harbor College. He attended a massage school in Fife and became a licensed therapist in 1999, offering his services at Lacey City Hall. But it was tough to get enough clients to run a business, so he quit and landed a job with a painting company.
He let his massage license lapse, but still pays student loans of about $68 a month.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, he lost his painting job when the economy took a nosedive. Motivated by the attacks, he wanted to enlist then, but the traffic fine bedeviled him. "I don't think I'd call it revenge, but I was really pissed off. I knew so many people who lost their jobs."
The war in Afghanistan made a lot of sense at the time, he said. The war in Iraq, not so much.
"I don't think we're anywhere close to being able to pull out of there. It's a mess. It wasn't well thought out and we have to deal with it."
Still, when he saw on CNN that the Army had raised the age limit, he called Milewski, with whom he had talked about joining the reserves.
"When they raised the enlistment age, I thought: This has got to be telling me something."
"A body blow"
The Army has been a tough sell in recent years, particularly in the Northwest.
The Seattle Recruiting Battalion, which includes Alaska, Washington (except for Vancouver) and northern Idaho, missed its goal by more than 40 percent last year.
"That was a body blow," said William Pearce, spokesman for the Seattle Recruiting Battalion.
There are many reasons for the decline, but the biggest is the war in Iraq, he said. Traditional enticements such as training and educational opportunities get recalibrated when someone considers the reality of fighting.
While the Army has increased the number of recruiters by 25 percent in some areas of the country, the Seattle Recruiting Battalion won't receive any additional personnel, remaining at 216.
Nonetheless, Pearce remained optimistic that the number of enlistments will rise. And the Army's new age for enlistment expanded the recruiting pool, noted Lt. Col. Kenneth Swanson, commander of Seattle Recruiting Battalion. Of all the services, only the Army raised its age limit.
A tiny percentage of potential recruits, young and old, say they actually want to fight in Iraq, said Milewski. Most talk about needing a change and a chance to reinvent themselves.
"We bring [Iraq] straight up," she said. "Any job you do, we can't guarantee you won't go to Iraq. They know it exists, but they're at the point where they say, 'I'm going to do it.' They're tired of stumbling."
About that tattoo ...
If Lizotte follows his plan, he could be 20 years older than some of the other recruits in basic training. He's prepared for some "Hey, grandpa" ribbing about that, and about the peace tattoo on his arm.
But the lure of medical training or joining the military police is strong, despite the possibility of death or injury. For him, the Army retains its longtime appeal: money, structure, a new life. That, plus a signing bonus of at least $9,000.
The prospect of combat "makes you wonder if it's the right course," he said. "But you weigh the risks and benefits. There's a lot of opportunities in the military. I can try something different."
Alex Fryer: 206-464-8124 or afryer@seattletimes.com
When I was a 22-year-old Ensign I regularly gave orders to my 40-something division leading chief. And he followed them. I also regularly asked him for advice and just as regularly followed it. Worked out well that way.
Is he?
Colonel: Marine, what is that button on your body armor?
Joker: A peace symbol, sir.
Colonel: Where'd you get it?
Joker: I don't remember, sir.
Colonel: What is that you've got written on your helmet?
Joker: "Born to Kill", sir.
Colonel: You write "Born to Kill" on your helmet and you wear a peace button. What's that supposed to be, some kind of sick joke?
Joker: No, sir.
Colonel: You'd better get your head and your ass wired together, or I will take a giant shit on you.
Joker: Yes, sir.
Colonel: Now answer my question or you'll be standing tall before the man.
Joker: I think I was trying to suggest something about the duality of man, sir.
Colonel: The what?
Joker: The duality of man. The Jungian thing, sir.
Colonel: Whose side are you on, son?
Joker: Our side, sir.
Colonel: Don't you love your country?
Joker: Yes, sir.
Colonel: Then how about getting with the program? Why don't you jump on the team and come on in for the big win?
Joker: Yes, sir.
Colonel: Son, all I've ever asked of my marines is that they obey my orders as they would the word of God. We are here to help the Vietnamese, because inside every gook there is an American trying to get out. It's a hardball world, son. We've gotta keep our heads until this peace craze blows over.
Joker: Aye-aye, sir.
Yeah,but that was in Germany!
"I also regularly asked him for advice and just as regularly followed it. Worked out well that way."
I wish you'd talk to some of these goofball 0-4/5/6's where I work, 'cause they sure think they know more than us civilians. Too bad they can't prove it.
I've got a bunch of Marine O-3's who are that way. The difference is that when I was an 0-4 and 0-5 I did know everything.
Hmm
Why not 50's or 60's?
This sounds like a great idea. I know some folks who would love to join but who had missed their chance when they were kids. There are lot guys in or near their late 30s who'll jump at this.
"The difference is that when I was an 0-4 and 0-5 I did know everything."
I bet they didn't plunk you down in a job based solely on your rank with no regard for your background or the nature of the work.
I could tell you stories, but then I'd have to kill you.
Someone morbidly obese like Michael Moore though would have trouble.
Michael Moore would never give up his millions to make 1,000 dollars a month. Plus, I am coming up on 19 years in June and honestly could not imagine starting over. At 36, it is hard enough to listen to seniors much less have to listen to everybody and have to clean the crap off of urinals etc. I give these older guys credit but I hope they are realistic in what is in store for them. It won't be easy. It is much easier being 18 when starting.
Send cash to: dakine...
Still time?
When I was a 22-year-old Ensign I regularly gave orders to my 40-something division leading chief. And he followed them. I also regularly asked him for advice and just as regularly followed it. Worked out well that way.
Being a 40 year old Chief is a he!! of alot differnt than being a 40 year old E-1!!! A bit different situation because being that I am the Chief in your story (36) and have a LT (31) that is in charge of the Department and there is alot of respect from both sides which helps when taking and giving orders. When your and E-1 40 year old getting orders from a 22 year old who most of the time does not respect an E-1 will be much harder for the 40 year old.
Hell no, I'm harder to control now than I was at 18 and I just don't have the patience for the whole 'court martial' thing.
Come on, Chief. You know there is a hell of a lot of difference between an O-3 on his second department head tour and a newly-commissioned Ensign running his first division. When I was an O-3 I gave my senior petty officers a lot of respect and I had been around long enough to earn their's in return. I still cringe about some of the disasters my Senior Chief saved my young O-1 ass from just by being there to keep me from making a fool out of myself.
Awesome. thanks!
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