At 39, Michael Powell has realized his dream of enlisting in the Army after the service initially turned him away 20 years ago, an Army news story says.
“I want to be an infantryman,” said Powell, who is currently attending basic training at Fort Moore, Georgia. “I want to travel the world and continue to accomplish the goals I set out for myself at a young age.”
Since the Army’s maximum enlistment age is 38, Powell was granted an exception to policy to join. He was also approved to enlist even though he has some tattoos that do not comply with the Army’s guidance.
Powell, of Selma, Alabama, said he had wanted to join the Army since he was a child, but he had a difficult early life. He’s lived on his own since he was 17, and he dropped out of high school in the 11th grade to work..
“I always dreamed of joining the U.S. Army since I was in elementary school,” Powell said. “So, I got up one day and went into the recruiting station and told the recruiter I was ready to join.”
But at 19, Powell was told that he did not meet the service’s pre-qualification standards. With the Army seemingly no longer a career option, Powell earned his General Educational Development and went on to serve as an officer with the Selma Police Department. He also went to school and earned his commercial driver’s license.
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Still, Powell the idea of becoming a soldier never fully faded away. After a chance encounter with a recruiter, he decided to try again. This time, he had better luck, becoming the first person in Selma to join the Army at his age.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Inez Hammon, the Selma Recruiting Station Commander, said Powell is the first recruit she’s worked with who is older than her. But the two shared something in common.
“We had somewhat maybe a similar story,” Hammon told Task & Purpose. “I didn’t join at 39, but I did join late. I joined at 24. So, for me, it was once having a dream of wanting to join the Army and then later following up on that dream. So, we had something we could relate to in that aspect – never quitting.”
Hammon said she first met Powell at a local Sonic restaurant, where he was working as a manager. Whenever she visits fast-food businesses, she asks the people who work there if they had ever thought about joining the Army. Powell said he had thought about it but couldn’t talk because he was working.
She gave Powell her business card. Weeks went by, and then he called her to say that he had just seen an Army recruiting commercial and wanted to know more about enlisting.
It took about 45 days for Powell to get through the application process and receive waivers for his age and tattoos, Hammon said. But as the weeks dragged on, Powell never waivered..
Powell’s tattoos had been an issue when he was 19. Recruiters told him that two tattoos on his neck and and others on his right and left hands made him ineligible to serve, Hammon said.
This time, Hammon told her he could apply for a waiver, and when it was granted, “Honestly, he really couldn’t believe it,” she said.
Even though Powell is almost 40, he didn’t need to lose any weight or go through any extra physical training before shipping to qualify for the Army, Hammon said.
“He goes to the gym every single day,” Hammon said. “He was in great shape.”
Recruiting changes across the Army
After struggling in recent years, the Army expects to meet its recruiting goal for Fiscal Year 2024 of 55,000 new soldiers – a lower goal than in the past. One way the service has been able to attract more soldiers has been through the Army Future Soldier Preparatory Course, which helps potential trainees who do not meet the service’s initial standards get ready for basic training.
The Army has also announced it plans to stand up two new basic training companies at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and another two companies at Fort Sill, Oklahoma to accommodate an additional 3,840 more trainees per year, indicating that the service’s efforts at revamping recruiting are bearing fruit.
Powell, who has selected 11X (Infantryman) as his military occupational specialty, has no qualms about going through basic training with fellow soldiers roughly half his age.
“An old dog can teach you new tricks,” he said.
Powell is also the first member of his family to join the military.
“This was a long time coming,” his mother, Gladys Powell said. “I’m proud of him and pray this will be another successful job for my son.”
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