By Susan Bromley
Staff Writer
PFC Dan Rathburg enlisted in the Army in June of last year? at the age of 35.
Unlike most new recruits, Rathburg, a 1992 Brandon High School graduate, had been married for 10 years, already had three children, and was established in the civilian world as a business owner.
‘I was really soul-searching to do something different with my life,? says Rathburg by phone from Schweinfurt, Germany, where he is stationed. ‘I prayed about it and this is what I’m supposed to be doing.?
Sgt. Tony Messina of the U.S. Army Recruiting Office in Clarkston says that while Rathburg is not the typical demographic of 18-25 year-olds that sign up, older recruits are on the rise.
‘The sheer number of enlistments has gone up the past two years, but nothing drastic,? he said. ‘What I have noticed is the type of people enlisting. In this area, you have a good number of the typical high school graduates, but in the last year, there are more people with degrees, fresh out of college, and older people… A lot were in construction, engineers, a couple small business owners. A lot are looking for stable employment.?
Rathburg was looking for a career with purpose and meaning, but the downturn in the economy also played a part in his joining the Army. He owned a construction company, but business had slowed down.
‘I was staying afloat, but it wasn’t like it was in the 90s,? Rathburg said. ‘The economy definitely had something to do with it.?
Rathburg had to get his wife, Angela, on board for the change, as well as their three children, Austin,13, Seth, 6, and Laina, 3.
‘They’ve done pretty well,? he says. ‘Austin has a lot of friends now. We live on base. It’s nice, because the Army is like a community and they’re really willing to help each other out. If you don’t know where something is, they’ll show you, or if you don’t know how something works, someone will help you out. Everyone wants you to succeed. It’s different than I thought. I thought it might be miserable, but it’s pretty upbeat.?
Rathburg thanks the Army for being in the best physical shape he’s been in for years. As the ‘older guy,? he helps the younger ones. He notes that 18-year-olds are going to do things that aren’t so bright. He gives them advice.
‘It’s easier for me to take an order, because I know structure,? he said. ‘If you’re a private and the sergeant tells you to do something, you don’t question it, you just do it. If it’s stupid, I talk to the chain of command. I’m not that intimidated, where younger guys might be.?
Messina welcomes the mature recruits.
‘I think it’s good to get older people,? he said. ‘They’re more mature, have a better attitude, handle basic training better. They are mentally more prepared than some of the younger guys.?
Rathburg works as a training clerk and heavy equipment operator. He typically wakes up and does an hour to hour and a half of physical training? running 6-8 miles before 7 a.m., then eats breakfast and goes to work, which can involve paperwork and rifle training. His days go by quickly because he is constantly busy.
While he says he made more money when he was 18, his work now is more consistent. He isn’t the guy any more telling everyone what to do, he’s the one being told what to do. Instead of thinking for 20-30 people, he thinks of how he can do what he has been told to do really well.
‘Security-wise, it’s nice,? he said. ‘I don’t have to worry about making a house payment or electric or heat bill. My check is there every two weeks. I have insurance for my family. It’s comforting to know that as long as I go to work and do my job, I’m going to have all that. If I do my job well, I’ll keep moving up and do better and have more. That’s how it works in the civilian world, too. If you work hard, you will reap what you put in. I was always a hard worker before I came in the Army, that’s why it’s not so hard for me.?
Messina said one of the myths about the Army is that they take everyone. The truth is that they do not and it is getting more difficult to get in. Recruits must pass an Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery? a proficiency test on the basics learned in high school as well as vocational items. New enlistments must be younger than 42, be a high school graduate or have at least 15 college credits if they received a GED, and pass a background check.
Rathburg feels fortunate in his second career, although he knows he will likely be deployed eventually to a hostile area. He enjoys the traveling he is doing in Eruope and the time he never used to have.
?(Joining) was the right thing to do,? he says. ‘I was trying to think of what I wanted out of the rest of my life. I wanted to be part of something more. I will do at least 20 years of this, because I did 20 at the last job…. I used to work seven days a week and was married to my company. Now, I can spend weekends with my family.?