Originally posted by 1q2w3e4r
He states that the mandatory age for retirement is 45 thats right! It's in Moonraker though not CR from memory. Though he also says that he's got eight years to go, and as you probably remember thinks he's more likely to be killed than make 45.
Tarl, thanks for the bit about Bourne's age. I've actually read the trilogy, though the idea of a slowed down Jason Bourne really didn't grab me in the later books. Its a bit like the idea of a 50 yr old Bond convincingly beating down guys 20 years younger... A little long in the tooth
Yes, you are correct. I read CR and MnR back-to-back, so the facts kind of bleed into each other.
As for the 50 yr. old beating on the 20 yr old, that's probably a realistic scenario, and not long in the tooth at all. With the exception of professional boxers and the like, the older guys in elite-police type work and elite-soldier military work will win hands-down in most engagements up until about the mid 40's when age effects start to overtake the advantage in skill [and at the latest 50]. As an example, examine the typical U.S. Green Beret. The prime fellows are in their 30's and 40's. The younger 20's just have not had enough time to mature into the profession. However, the degradation in the physical comes quickly in the 40's, so most will retire in the mid 40's with a pension, or just finish out their 30/35-yr. career in management type jobs. In the U.S. military the pension is 50% of base pay after 20 years of service. If one waits longer to retire, then the pension goes up.
By "win an engagement", I don't mean the number of push-up or 2-mile run times. I mean the willingness to engage without hesitation, and the ability to control the adrenaline so that the proper decision making is made during the engagement that leads to the desired outcome, a victory. That only comes with experience. This is why the hothead 20-yr olds are usually still found in either the 82nd Airborne, the 101st Airborne, or one of the Ranger Battalions. The young nervous energy needs to be burned up and matured there before they can switch over to a Special Forces [Green Beret] unit. I beleive you will find the same trend in the SAS and SBS.
Cheers.
