Academy in your mid/late 30s

[JJay704NC]

How was you experience at the academy in your mid/late 30's?

I'm a long time lurker here and decided to sign up once I got my official acceptance into an academy. I'll give my perspective as someone who chose to join as the ripe age of 34.

I'm going in, not expecting to be a rockstar in PT, but I understand my maturity will be a plus, and it has been throughout the process so far. I noticed that with the age comes some respect from everyone you meet. I reciprocate and am able to get into life conversations with almost everyone I came across. From the recruiter to the sergeant during the ride along, we spoke about family life, retirement, you know, grown folk stuff. I feel this will be a plus in the academy because most of my time will be spent on learning, instead of an instructor trying to correct my attitude, or work me extra hard in PT for something stupid.

As far as PT, I've been putting in work for the past few months. Im 6'2 and have gone from 260 lbs with a 17min 1.5 (facepalm) to a 13:30min 1.5 time. Im confident, right now, I can squeeze out 13 flat. Ive also dropped 30 lbs in the process. My goal is to drop another 20 lbs or so and hit a sub 12 min 1.5 by the end of the academy.

I think starting at 35 is perfectly fine, as long as you've maintained a healthy and active lifestyle. I just read a thread here about the gentleman in NC who started the academy in his 50's. If he can do it, so can we. I also know I won't be the only one up in age because on the day of my COC interview, I met two other applicants who were 36.

[NolaT]

Congratulations, hard / smart work pays off.

Good luck, keep us updated!

[MacDep]

I start my academy on March 6th, can’t wait to get started!

[NolaT]

Same to you :

Congratulations, hard / smart work pays off.

Good luck, keep us updated!

[JJay704NC]

Congratulations, hard / smart work pays off.

Good luck, keep us updated!

Will do.

[Captain Max]

Went through my last at 46/47. The worst part were young classmates with Big Wee-Wee Syndrome and daddy issues talking tough. The second worst was not getting paid for the extra hours crud. Third, I clearly had more LE experience by this time than many instructors. The main DUI instructor clearly had not testified that many time by the stupid things he said and the firearms/tactics instructors were young and acted equally stupid. The P.T. instructor made it clear that he didn't think that anyone over 40 should be in law enforcement. The plus was that the old instructors liked me and I easily passed their tasks.

Some days I walked back to the dorm with sore joints, others I worked out on my own to relieve stress from the idiots.

[508NAVY]

I went to the academy at 30 years old. I spent 9 years as a submariner from right after high school in 2005 until 2014. Did 3 years in the civilian life during which time I got married and my wife and I found our house to start a family. Then, I started testing and got hired in 2017.

like I said, I was a submariner. We do different **** in the navy, and I was assigned to a fast attack frog boat hint hint wink wink.

with that being said, I didn’t and don’t have the body of these CrossFit junkies, but the academy was a joke. If you run and are in decent shape you’ll be fine. The paramilitary rubbish was funny because I “knew” the games the instructors would play. I was mostly left alone because of my military experience. When the class got tagged for being ignorant 21 year olds trying to sleep with each other and the other classes females/males, I was sent to check the mail box and whatnot, while they got beat.

It’s really a mind game. The unfortunate reality is instructors teach you essentially to drink the kook aid which I get. All in all, knowing what I know now, many of those instructors were whisked away to the school house because they sucked on the road.

[Captain Max]

Federally, they are NOT the best and brightest. That would require a paid move to a FLETC facility, few want to move, so that leaves a small gene pool. Besides, muckity-mucks seek out the kiss-ups. I think they should allow experienced LE for 28 day tours. I'd go to FLETC now for a such a gig but there is no such thing.