‘I Tried to Join the U.S. Military. They Said I’m Too Old’

I was recently turned down by the U.S. Air Force when I applied to become an officer. At age 49, despite being in excellent health, I was told I was too old. Throughout the U.S. Armed Forces, the maximum age to join to serve is 39 and under.

Like many people who have lived for half a century, I’m going through a mild midlife crisis. There’s nothing specifically wrong with my life. I’m fit, happily married, have two kids, and my entrepreneurial businesses have been successful.

But there’s something about hitting 50 that has me itching to do more with my life. I’m convinced it’s because I knew I would soon be perceived as too old to be hired for a traditional job.

I didn’t immediately need one financially, but it was the fact of the matter. I wanted to remain useful to society and its workforce, and I knew I still was.

To allay this, I began looking for formal work, unconcerned about high or low pay. In my 20s, I filmed and wrote for the National Geographic Channel, sometimes covering wars and other humanitarian issues. I loved the job, and found myself daydreaming about working for the United Nations as a field officer. Or for the WHO helping to fight new pandemics.

I had ample international experience and had even once been a communications director at a wildlife non-profit. Also, I was just completing a Master’s degree in Ethics from the University of Oxford. My resume seemed solid.

In my search for the right job, I came across a broadcast journalism position near my home in San Francisco for the U.S. Air Force. It was then lighting struck; I knew exactly where I’d first be applying.

My respect for people in uniform was enduring, and I regretted that I’d never joined the military, even as a reserve.

I’d worked and consulted as a civilian with the U.S. Armed Forces a number of times, even earning a formal hand-signed “thank you letter” from a U.S. Vice Admiral for my futurist technology work for them. I felt the Air Force was an ideal fit for me.

The Air Force pay was less than I was used to, but that wasn’t the issue. I wanted to be an officer, and after 25 years of working and building a successful life, I knew I could offer much to my country.

I contacted the Air Force recruiter and applied on the phone, explaining I was interested in…