Reply #16: First, he wasn't part of an army; Second, he wasn't a Sergeant.

[Devil Dog Dem]

He was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, not the army,

More important, he was a Master Gunnery Sergeant, which (along with Sergeant Major) is the highest enlisted rank in the Corps. It can take 25-30 years to reach that rank.

Call a Master Gunny a Sergeant and he'd kick your ass, plain and simple.

Notwithstanding this Marine's heart attack, there is nothing inherently wrong with having 54 year old Marines (although I agree it is at the high end of the age range). So, if he is a 54 year old Marine, then he is a Marine, and Marines deploy to shitholes like Iraq. It's that simple.

Semper Fi, Mac