The Multifaceted Benefits of Welcoming Older Recruits

The following is an excerpt from: Ageless Call to Serve: Rethinking Military Service for a Changing World by Lt. Col. Lanny L. Snodgrass MD, PhD.

Allowing qualified older individuals to join or reenter military service would infuse critical diversity of experience into the armed forces. Older recruits bring worldviews shaped by decades of education, work, setbacks, achievements, and relationships. Their varied per-spectives derived from living full lives provide nuance and balance to complement younger enlisted members’ worldviews. Over time, they also accumulate specialized skills and niche expertise that are invaluable assets—foreign languages, cybersecurity, aeronautics, law, psychology, and countless other fields. The military spends tremendous resources training recruits in these disciplines from scratch when older candidates already possess them. Eliminating age restrictions can allow the military to benefit from these recruits’ rich experience and talents honed over long careers.

Older individuals can also help address the military’s recruitment challenges through multiple avenues. First, simply expanding age eligibility spontaneously grows the pool of potential recruits the military can draw from. With shifting demographics that shrink the population of eligible young people, discarding arbitrary age limits is a pragmatic necessity. Second, while not all roles demand peak physical fitness, older recruits can still effectively serve in positions matched to their capabilities—as instructors, analysts, technical specialists, administrators, trainers, and advisors. Their contributions to these non-combat roles could enhance the military’s overall mission. Third, allowing veterans to return to duty retains years of invaluable operational knowledge and helps experienced soldiers mentor the next generation. Younger recruits can benefit tremendously from learning alongside seasoned veterans. And fourth, welcoming older recruits signals a message of meritocracy and inclusivity that can strengthen the military’s culture. An age-diverse force aligned with modern society projects an image of transparency, fairness, and opportunity—one where commitment and competence matter more than age.

Older individuals’ talents and competencies also align well with the armed forces’ evolving needs in a changing world. As technology permeates the battlefield, recruits with backgrounds in technical fields like cybersecurity or aerospace engineering lend crucial expertise that the military desperately requires. Others bring knowledge gained from civilian sector careers in law, medicine, psychology, and business that directly apply to military functions like legal advising, health care administration, human resources, and financial management. Still others offer language skills and cultural knowledge imperative for diplomatic engagements and peacekeeping missions abroad. With dynamic threats and increasing complexity, the military needs recruits with multifaceted experiences—exactly what older candidates poised for second careers possess.

Finally, discarding arbitrary age restrictions fully lives up to the military’s democratic ideals. Institutional discrimination that precludes older recruits contradicts principles of equal opportunity. All those with the capability, will, and character to serve their nation should have the chance to demonstrate their abilities, whatever their age. The armed forces’ greatness lies in motivated Americans from all walks of life dedicated to a higher purpose. An intergenerational force that embraces and leverages the diverse strengths of all qualified demographics keeps the military aligned with modern society’s expectations and diversity. By upholding these democratic values, the armed forces can continue evolving as an elite yet inclusive institution prepared to face any challenge.

If nothing else, the above points argue that it is time for a reexamination of the reasons why arbitrary age limits are placed on those who wish to serve. If the reason why countries have military organizations, to begin with, is to protect the civilian population, on what basis does it make sense to exclude millions of qualified individuals who could contribute mightily to the cause?

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Dr. Lanny Snodgrass, a renowned psychiatrist, has left an indelible mark in academia and clinical practice across multiple states. A respected figure in his field.  His extensive medical practice spans Arizona, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Wisconsin and Washington.

Earning his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Oregon in 1977, he pursued further medical studies and received his M.D. from the Autonomous University in 1980, followed by residency training at Menninger’s and UCLA.  His professional distinctions underscore his proficiency in psychotherapy, psychiatry, and addiction psychiatry, certified by the esteemed American Board of Medical Psychotherapists and the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology.

His service to the military has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Army Achievement Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Superior Service Award Department of Defense, U.S. Army.

An expert in PTSD and military psychiatry, Dr. Snodgrass is also adept in biofeedback, stress management, and clinical applications of hypnosis. His cross-cultural study of non-verbal communication also stands testament to his comprehensive approach. His scholarly contributions have been widely published in distinguished medical journals, and his insights have been shared through over 50 presentations at international conferences and symposia, reinforcing his status as a respected global voice in psychiatry.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.