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The Navy is a kaleidoscope of people of all ages, ethnicities, genders and walks of life who, at some point, decided to put their lives on the hold and work together on steel ships for maritime defense of their country and world partners. While the majority of people who join the Navy are 18 years old and straight out of high school, many Sailors begin their jouney in the Navy after having already fought many battles in the coliseum of adulthood.
The reasons for joining the Navy at an older age vary, but struggles with readjusting to junior sailor restrictions is a common theme among older enlistees. Despite the wealth of experiences that older enlistees bring to the fleet, Sailors of all ages can still learn and grow from the Navy’s core values, structure and traditions.
For Retail Specialist Seaman Anthony Sinkfield, a 35 year old S-3 division barber, his journey started long after high school when he joined at 33 years old.
“I graduated high school in 2005 and I haven’t lived in my mom’s house since,” said Sinkfield. “I was successful in the business world by owning my own financial firm, but I always had an itch to serve. It got to a point when my business ran on its own and one day I told my wife that I was going to do it. I saw current events that were going on in the world and didn’t want to sit on the sidelines; I wanted to be in the fight.”
While business success in the civilian sector may fluctuate, the overall fiscal stability of the Navy sometimes attracts older Sailors who are taking care of children. For Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Elijah Goodson, a 30 year old CCS Clerk in S-6 division, the decision to join at 25 was to support his family.
“It got to a point when I lost my job and my third kid was on the way,” said Goodson. “My little brother had joined the year before and his life had turned around for the better, and I thought that was what I needed at the time. I went a recruiter and was so set on getting into the Navy that I didn’t care what rate I got.”
Currently, no one in the United States is entitled to a debt-free education, and student loans can haunt a person for most of their lives. Fortunately, serving in the military has its own unique benefits.
“I joined the Navy to secure my daughter’s education,” said Aircrew Survival Equipmentman 3rd Class Raul Ortega-Garay, a control petty officer of (department). “I aleady got my bachelor’s degree at UCLA from a scholarship so I want to give my daughter a debt free college degree with my GI Bill. I waited seven years to join the Navy because of its strict tattoo policy at the time. I had to get a waiver for 20 plus tattoos. My recruiter at the time didn’t want to burn my chance for me to join, so he told me to wait until 2019.”
Family resposibilities may keep Sailors serving beyond one contract, but the unique experiences of serving at certain commands could also be a deciding factor in retention. For Logistics Specialist 1st Class Larissa Yuncker, the S-6 division (SRS) leading petty officer, her Navy journey started at 23 years old but continued because of a rocky relationship and orders to Naples, Italy.
“When I went to shore duty in Naples I had some amazing mentors, some great leadership and they changed my whole world,” said Yuncker. “I wanted to stay in. I was able to volunteer, travel, see the world, and meet new friends. I got everything I joined for. I felt like I was actually doing something for the Navy; I was helping Sailors but I was also helping myself.”
A benefit of joining at an older age is that one’s work and everyday life experience can inspire younger Sailors, but starting off new to any organization comes with it’s own list of growing pains.
“Transitioning from a personal life with civilian job experience to being a Sailor was easy,” said Ortega. “It was easy to follow an order and maintain discipline, but the fact that younger people outranked me made me feel like I needed to catch up.”
According to Sinkfield, being married with four young children, he comes from a diffrernt walk of life so it has been a challenge to try to bridge that gap with his shipmates, especially when so many people his age are more established in their military careers.
Feeling far removed from one’s peer group can pose challenges while intergrating into workspaces, but the structure of the Navy leaves room for older enlistees to build connections with Sailors from all over the fleet. The focus on one’s purpose to serve is best decribed by Sinkfield, whose dedication to his wife and kids fuels his drive to excel every day in his rate.
“Knowing why you decided to do this and developing great relationships and mentors keeps you focused on what that prize is,” said Sinkfield. “The day in and day out grind can be challenging and tedious, but if you could focus on that why, you’ll make sure you’re taking care of business every day.”
The balancing act of retaining a personal identity that took a lifetime to craft and meeting the impersonal, unbending demands of any military branch truly transcends age.
Like cacti standing upright to face a harsh and unforgiving sun, dignity can still exist and grow even in the most barren situations, and Sailors can cultivate their own sense of it no matter their age, rank or position in the Navy through pride in their excellent work and the respectful way they carry themselves throughout the day.
“Sometimes you’re going to get mad and disgruntled and feel like you’ve waited too long to start your Navy life, but all our stories are different,” said Yunckers. “I think putting your pride aside and trying to learn the job was one of the biggest things. I had to be like ‘Hey, I don’t know everything but I’m willing to learn.’ It’s about respecting people no matter what age they are.”
| Date Taken: | 08.10.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.30.2022 17:16 |
| Story ID: | 436135 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 44 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Never Too Late, by PO2 Charles Blaine, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
