Recruits.

This is coolbert:

Consider this to be almost an act of desperation? U.S Navy short of recruits taking drastic measures to overcome personnel shortfall?

"US Navy Recruits Older Middle Age Sailors"

From freerepublic.com | 11/20/2022. 

"The US Navy is facing recruiting challenges in a tight labor market, and has raised its maximum enlistment age to 41 in order to attract more sailors to the fleet. The Navy is also looking to increase its use of bonuses and other financial incentives to attract recruits"

Comments:

* War and military service is generally if not almost exclusively an activity of young men. Fewer prior commitments and responsibilities.

* At least for U.S. Army the maximum age for enlistment WITHOUT prior military experience is thirty-two years.

* For persons beyond the age of thirty-two enlistments will be allowed for those with prior military experience BUT only if by age sixty you will have twenty good years of service total toward retirement.

* During the Second World War all men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five were required to register for military service. Conscription and induction however limited to those men thirty-five years or younger.

Such a drastic measure can be seen as an omen of bad? I might think so.

coolbert.