As some of you know, way back in 2007 when I re-enlisted I thought I would join a WMD detection team as some kind of chemical weapons detection specialist. It never worked out at the time, but when I got back from Iraq, I started getting weekly listings of full-time jobs available at Fort Indiantown Gap. One of those jobs was the job I was looking for four years ago.
I looked at that job every week and thought 'Do I really want to be full time?' It turns out that the team members have to be full time, which makes sense. I called the office last week and talked to a senior officer in the unit. He told me that the job involved a lot of travel, a lot of chemistry and was physically demanding. He asked how old I am. When I told him he said I could apply if I wanted to, but almost everyone else on the team was in their 20s.
I suppose I could apply anyway, but the unit gets to decide who they interview from the applicant pool. And when I joined, I was thinking I could do this kind of thing part time. Since that's not the case, I'll sty where I am.
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Funny thing...when I was in Iraq, I turned 49. I was the oldest guy in our Batt...but a few times I had to help the younger lads carry their gear when we were out on missions.
ReplyDeleteSee, it's not that I was just in good shape, but from all my years, I knew what to pack and what to leave in Baghdad...so I had less crap than they did.
When we get older, we're also supposed to get smarter. Use your brain and years of common sense.
I had to do that WWMD training stuff in a course where I was going to train cops. I was the oldest cop in the class. The day we did our big test with full MOPP, it was over 90 degrees. I not only kept up, but out did the young fat coppers.