51-year-old Mom graduates from Basic Training
She’s a few years younger than me, and I don’t think I could do it again, but this Marine Mom, Sgt. Sandra Coast, decided she wanted to join the Army while her son was at the Marine Recruiter.
For as long as she can remember she has had a special place in her heart for troops and a hunger to serve.
“I have a friend in the Navy that was emailing me from Afghanistan. It’s his third combat tour in seven years. I don’t know, I can’t explain it, I just had this overwhelming desire to give back to the military somehow. I was doing the same job day after day after day; I can’t live my life that way,” Coast said. “There is more to life than this, so I ended up in basic training.”
Now, 1st Sgt. John Byars has a new perception of his elders.
“I was impressed because she can do everything the younger Soldiers do,” Byars said. “She never expected us to feel sorry for her. She even got one of the highest Army Physical Fitness Test scores in the company. She is a prime example that age is just a number. She ran faster than Soldiers young enough to be her kids.”
I guess you have to follow your heart. Congratulations, Sergeant.
Category: Real Soldiers
All I can do is laugh. The Army really does take just about everybody.
‘ “I wanted to go active duty, but they are not taking people as old as me for active duty. So, I got attached to a virtual unit. Everything I do will be by the Internet and phone,” Coast said.’
Nothing here at which to laugh. She is going to be conducting networked, paralegal counseling, and the Army still insisted she be properly trained. Already a Navy veteran and parent of a young Marine, she stepped up a third time. Three times the citizen in my opinion.
Wait… How/why is a Sargent going through basic?
So for those of us who don’t know, how does this work when someone from one branch enlists in another branch…do they get to keep their rank, etc?
4-Depends on what branch you’re going to and from.
At 51, and female, what did she have to do to get the highest score on the APFT?
Good on her though for signing up and serving.
Claymore #4: Still seems odd.
Ok, maybe I need to ask a different way…LOL…she was Marine Corps and went Army…how does that work out typically? Wouldn’t it matter what your MOS is, etc?
She was not Marine Corps lol, she was a sailor 19 years ago.
Holy crap I need to lay off the single malt tonight.
HOO-AH
Single malt? And you’re not sharing? Bastard.
Blame it on the alcohol!
@DaveO, I was thinking the exact same thing. For a female of her age to get a 300 on the APFT, she would have to do 34 pushups, 66 situps, and run the 2-mile in 17:46.
Which for me would be a 181 and a failure in two events.
I guess if she’s a paralegal specialist she doesn’t need to be a Ranger, so good for her?
Wow. Sounds rough…lol
well…i mean, good for her. she’s a true patriot.
but….pffft hahahahaha. You can’t deny that this is kind of hilarious.
so did she actually, go through basic or did she just take some kind of PFT and was given her cheverons?
if she actually went to boot camp, shared a squad bay with the other soldiers, did the o course, etc etc, and passed, what does that say about the quality of the other soldiers?
the fact that a 51 year old woman can graduate from boot camp is sort of pathetic.
don’t mean to be a army hater or nothing, but… come on.
@8 Claymore, each branch has their own way of doing things but it used to be, ANY enlisted transferring to the Marine Corps had to complete recruit training. After that it was all paper shuffling. If memory serves, depending on your MOS they might take you at all. You know, not to many Amtrac Bns in the AF. Not many nuclear powered anythings in the Marine Corps!? Please keep in mind, this was when Chesty Puller was. PFC.
USMC Chris,
She went through basic, but this is an instance in which everything she did pretty much hit the max. Sad testament to the two-tiered, “Separate But Equal” Army we have.
Flip side. She’s 51. No excuses, no BS, no nothing accepted. She’s not a wannabe discovering herself. Don’t know if she’ll age-out before she’s eligible for retirement; but I wish her every success.
It appears that she actually went through some sort of boot based on the following in the article:
“Her 10-week journey from civilian to Soldier was spent in Company B, 2nd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Chemical Brigade.”
and
“The APFT may have been a breeze for Coast, but she said one of the hardest things for her to adjust to was the divide in life stages between her and her fellow roommates.
“Everything about basic training is pretty tough, but living with more than 30 teenage females is one of the hardest things,” Coast said.”
I am six years younger thant the Sgt. The thought of living in a barracks with 30 teenage girls makes me want to hang myself.
As to the “fact that a 51-year-old woman can graduate” comment…General Mattis is 61. Want to take him on?
Speaking of Chesty Puller, his son-in-law and Navy Cross earner Colonel Bil Dabney passed away recently.
Oh come on, USMC Chris. F’real?
Hey karlen. Suck my ass. Anybody who wants to help is welcome. Anybody who wants to snipe anonymously via the interwebs is scum. I’m older than the Lady with a bit more TIS. Want to roll?
Yat Yas–exactly, which is why I was an RE-R1 when I got out. Bottom line, I could have gone back in–but I would have been a nuke, and a nuke ONLY.
She missed a righteous opportunity to embarrass her son. She should have went marines, and outscored his ass in prt. Would’ve been awesome.
Also, lol @ army boot. A nice vacation spot for retirees.
@17 Hey Scooter I checked out their scoring and Neil karlstadt’s numbers make sense for her score. You know what that means? With the age group factored in, she would have been damn close to passing ours!?
ok, not to be a hater– too much– but you guys are having a whole blown out convo about this- without bothering to click the link jonn provided and find out any actual information. Yes, she completed regular Army boot camp. She ran second FASTEST according to the article, not just had the highest score based on age. Why is she a SGT? well, evidently (not rocket science…) she kept some of her rank.
This is not a reflection on how shitty the army has become, it’s a reflection on her.
You all thought you were bad ass when you completed Basic.. (I did, too) but now you’re thinking you might not be all that bad… LMAO.
You’re still bad ass, boys. She is, too.
Hey Al T, I did my time. I earned my right to giggle at the thought of a 51 year old woman in boot and I’d imagine she thinks its funny too. Also, let’s rumble. I’ll bring the ky you bring the kiddie pool?
I can’t figure out if some of you are too young to get it or so old you forgot it. This AMERICAN served her country once and then went back for more.Obviously they had a spot for her experience and expertice. There is nothing to laugh at here, this country would be much better off if more people were like her. I don’t even know her but I am proud of her.
Maybe some of you have been bagging on dirtbags here so long you can’t just say Bravo when it’s appropriate.
Lol no, our country would be far worse off if our military was full of 51 year old women. How the hell are wars fought anyways? From the screen of a computer or a rifleman on patrol?
Saw an old lady running down the street
Had a cute on her back, jump boots on her feet
Said, “Hey old lady where you goin’ to?”
She said “US Army Airborne School”
“Whatcha gonno do when you get there?”
“Jump from a plane, float through the air”
I said “Hey old lady ain’t you been told?
Airborne School’s for the young and the bold”
She said “Hey Dirty Leg who you talkin’ to?
I’m an Black Hat at the Airborne School”
I have been doing triathlons competitively for 12 years. Trust me, there are 51 year old women out there that would bury most of the people reading this. If you want to take them on, I can arrange it.
Good on you Sgt. Coast!!
Doc Bailey wins the internets today! LOL
Dear gawd…..I need to hit the road again and start running.
I thought 37 or so was the age cut off? Talk about waivers.
but just wow.
Good for her indeed!
My hat’s off to her, it’s an acomplishment to be proud of born of a commitment I wish more Americans shared.
SGT Coast … good for you >>> now go and get some! My kinda Mom!
@32 I didn’t know the buffet line at golden corral was considered a triathlon event
@38
?? You completely lost me there….
Tanker:
As opposed to DUIDave’s idea of a “triathlon”:
–Troll
–????
–Profit!
@karlen – I’m not sure where you have been lately but wars are fought by both riflemen on patrol and people in front of the computer screen. Ever heard of a drone? Ever called in air support? Ever heard of missles being fired from ships or subs?
I suppose in your world you swam from the US to get to your war then marched up the beach continuing inland until you found the enemy and dispatched them all by yourself. I’m curious did you swim all that way with all of the food and ammo you needed or did you swim back to the US to re-supply?
I didn’t say the military would be better off full of 51 year olds. I meant we need more people with her heart, drive and dedication.
If you ever faced serious charges you would want someone who knew what the hell they were doing working on your case even if she was 51 years old rather than some 18 year old FNG.
What Stubby said.
41- You’re stretching the computer screen comment so far that spandex is going to hurt on the way back. Flying a drone is no the same as what she’s doing, and you know that.
The fact is this lady has got massive pride and honor in her country and those of us who are on the front line that she was willing to go through this process just to be part of the team and better support those people. If you are any type of service member posting comments like its a joke you should be ashamed that you do not have the Honor Integrity or Selfless Sacrafice this NCO has
The Army is cutting good soldiers while sending 51 year old women through training. Seems like a good trade there….
“The Army is cutting good soldiers while sending 51 year old women through training.”
You know this how?
The two are some how related? How? Can you give examples?
@45 – She’s a Reservist. The Army is not cutting back there.
See http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=28723 Pucker Up Reservists.
@45 – She is a Reservist. The Army is not cutting back there.
See http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=28723
46- I take it you don’t get out a lot. Try google,
This article and many others claim as many as 80k cut
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2012/01/26/army-to-cut-80000-soldiers-from-its-ranks.html
Karlen, #45
So you’re saying she’s not a good soldier?