Wow, but I thought the cutoff was at 35? So you can join even at 55?
For the Army I believe it’s 42.
From the article:
Taffe’s age almost stopped him from enlisting in the Army, but he made the cut-off,
getting in 36 hours before his 55th birthday, when a waiver would have been required
No you can’t just join at 55, but he had served 14 years in the Navy, so that 14 was deducted from 55 giving him the chance to continue his military service without asking for an age waiver, that may not have been granted. All years completed with completed points for retirement are recognized as years completed.
A reservist can collect a pension at age 60 if they have served 20 years. He was able to get in under the wire using his 14 years, and save his chance for a pension later. Albeit that pension will be smaller than a full time military personnel. His twenty years will be finished at age 62, hence his statement that he would stay until age 62..and that is how it works.
42 plus your years of prior service I believe. He could not have done this as a first enlistment.