Military should recruit oldies but goodies

I am no militarist, but I do see a need for the U.S. military

    in today's chaotic world -often on the brink of anarchy.

        Lately the military has warned about a dangerous decline in its

    manpower . It has made an honest effort to purge itself of institutionalized

    racism and sexism - and it is indeed all the stronger for it.

          Now  ,I think, it can deal with its enlistment problem by actively

    recruiting  " over 30 " males and females, ( with no regard for sexual

    orientation ) .  

             Perhaps it can dispense with all that boot camp nonsense . Life

    itself will shape character and a patriotic outlook more effectively

    anyway.

           Does military readiness mean that we must have legions of youthful,

    near perfect physical specimens in every branch of the armed forces ?

            Reflect on the recent space flight of 77 year old ex- Marine

    colonel, John Glenn .

           And perhaps there can be shorter periods of enlistment - say  one

    year or even six months. Many of the over thirty crowd already have

    militarily useful skills, if not the increasingly anachronistic hand to

    hand combat fox hole warrior skills .

             There must be at least an iota of patriotism in me to think

    about a solution to the military enlistment. Or am I involved in a

    highly sinister hippie. commie , faggot plot ?