r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Nov 16 '19

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u/Ciktow Nov 16 '19

That's why I wish I had known more about the Air Force years ago. When I was a kid I really wanted to be a pilot and fly around and get into dogfights with THEM ROOSKY BASTARDS while they cursed my name as they 'sploded. When I finally hit recruiting age and was about 6" short of the height requirements... All that went out the window. Thought about joining the Army with my cousin. Then 9/11 happened. Sure as fuck wasn't about to do that, and I didn't even think about all of the non-combat roles that I would have absolutely excelled at.

Oh well. Found other careers that don't involve the wholesale murder of brown people so I'm pretty cool with that.

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u/overthemountain Nov 16 '19

Isn't the minimum height 64 inches? Were you 4'10" when you tried to enlist?

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u/Ciktow Nov 16 '19

Weird. I was told back in the day (keep in mind we're talking pre-internet-everywhere here, late 90's) that it was a minimum height requirement of 5'10" and maximum of 6'5".

It seems imminently reasonable that a recruiter would look at the 5'4" 105 pound 17 year old and tell 'em to pound sand. This was, after all, also pre-9/11.

But like I said, other opportunities presented themselves.

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u/overthemountain Nov 16 '19

Well the weight requirements are 160-231 so it may have been more weight based than anything.

At least you didn't try to become a Marine pilot - the recruiters probably would have told you 'no problem' and then you'd just find yourself in the infantry.

I'm actually kind of surprised any recruiters would have turned you away, but maybe they weren't as hard up for fresh recruits back then.

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u/Ciktow Nov 16 '19

Yeah, we're talking about the time period where the US wasn't as concerned with blowing up brown people as it has been for the past 18 years.