Older soldiers find a niche in new Army

[babylonsister]

Older soldiers find a niche in new Army

'GI Jorge,' a father, grandfather and struggling property appraiser, is becoming a soldier at 40 to secure his family's financial future.

BY CAROL ROSENBERG
[email protected]


As the South Florida real estate market disintegrated and the number of jobless rose, 40-year-old Jorge Gil Muela made a young man's decision.

The five-foot-seven, 235-pound property appraiser walked into a recruiting center in a Kendall strip mall in December to join the Army. He was told to shed 50 pounds. It's a small price, he said, for the job security and pay, family health insurance and new career as a cargo handler.

A 185-pound Muela will report for duty at Fort Sill, Okla., next month, leaving his wife, children and grandchildren behind in Miami.

''It's the only answer for me to secure our way of life right now,'' he said soberly, noting that the 21st century GI bill means that he can pass college benefits along to his 18-year-old son.

Muela's tale shows how the financial crisis may be subtly aiding the Army, which struggled to meet its recruitment goals in 2004 and 2005.

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http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/926949.html

[unhappycamper]

1. A 61 year old retired soldier just went back in.

In the Veterans forum:

Retired soldier, 61, reports back to duty

[babylonsister]

2. Wow, his perserverance paid off. Rules were made to be broken,

in this case.