What age does the military force you to retire?

Do you have to retire when your 30 years are up? What age do they force you to retire because they think your old? I mean for combat mission guys as well as normal jobs an awnser for both would be nice

Public Comments

1. When you start calling the chief of staff "Sonny Boy".
2. never why do you think all the 4 star generals are so old
3. You aren't forced to retire unless you get passed over for promotions that you are eligible for. It's not about age.
4. It depends on your rank, your specialty, and other factors. Time in grade is a major factor. If you are an instructor in a highly sensitive area, then your age won't be much of a factor. If you have an expertise that is highly valued, then your age won't be much of a factor.
5. You're forced to retire or seperate (if you haven't served 20 years yet) if you're passed over for promotion above-the-zone. APZ TIG is one year longer than in-the-zone, which differs for each paygrade. Mandatory retirement for general officers is 62, deferrable to 64. Further, an officer promoted to O-7 but not recommended for O-8 must retire within 5 years of O-7 promotion or 30 years of AD TIS, whichever's later.
6. I've never heard of or met anyone who was forced out for being too old. People are forced to retire for other reasons. Mostly for some reason or another they don't get promoted on time. They can be in an over manned field or just not meet the quota...or they can be a knuckle head. Sometimes they are forced out for bad behavior...maybe it isn't terrible behavior, but it is better for everyone if they got out when the getting was good. The oldest person to retire from the Navy was Rear Admiral Grace Hopper at age 80. She retired in 1986. She was one of the early computer programmers and scientist. She truely was an amazing woman and one of only three women to have a ship named after her. She was a cool person and an extraordinary old woman...I like reading about her. She stayed in by presidential appointment. I guess if you have highly specialized skill they will keep you around for while. Most people retire long before they are 80. Like others said the max is about 60...but if the President or Congress wants you then you can stay. You see a lot of older people who are doctors. Most of the older people are officers and have skills that are hard to find elsewhere. Like a neuro-brain surgeon would have an easier time staying than an intern. It is all about needs of the military.
7. Best Answer: Mandatory Retirement (outside of special circumstances related to extremely high level duty positions, i.e. Generals) is 60 years old, waiverable up to 62 in situations where you are deemed mission essential or if you need those last two years to qualify for your twenty year retirement. No one else knew the answer because in active duty you are typically in and out in 20 years. In the Guard and Reserves you deal with many people with long breaks in service coming in to get their retirement. Even then, I can only think of 1 or 2 situations off the top of my head where someone retired at 60 or was given a waiver to stay past 60.
8. The max age is 62 years old. The max service time is 30 years. To stay after age 62 or after 30 years, You must be approved by your services Secretary. IE: Secretary of the Army, Secretary of the Navy, Secretary of the Air Force. That doesn't happen except under special circumstances. IE: your a general officer, a E-9 above Division level Or you have a very hard to find specialty knowledge.
9. It depends on your rank purely, regardless of specialization. Sir Jock Stirrup, chief of the british armed forces, he was an RAF Fast Jet Pilot which are renowned for their perfect medical state are usually the first of all front line troops to be dropped and if they don't go through the ranks, and if they fail to get through the ranks, they are politely kicked out at around the age of...36. But he managed to stay on until now and i think he is in his sixties and counting. It basically means after 40 and your not high in the ranks your useless and your out, but if you get through the ranks the less action you see so the less fit you need to be and the more they need your experience and mental input.
10. For the US military, the mandatory retirement age is 62. The 64 waiver is primarily for those commissioned officers holding a position called "permanent military professor" or something similar. They are retained in exclusively academic and research positions and tend not to transfer ever once they have their assignment. Other forced retirements and discharges depend on rank and the number of times you were passed over for promotion. As to the maximum total number of years, theoretically, you could come in at 16 or 17 with your parents' permission and serve until 64, so just shy of 50 years. I knew a Navy captain who retired with 42 years of service. He managed that because he was enlisted for nearly 18 years prior to commissioning.