It's rather easy to be 'hard' when it comes to the troubles of others. Most of the folks who aspire to hardness end up screaming like wounded faggots (and here I am merely quoting that great, unacknowledged American author, William S. Burroughs, himself of that persuasion) when themselves meeting a little trouble in life.
I would bet that General Queseda, Rtd, probably spoke of that original decision to impose an age limit as 'hard'. You know, in the way that sacking some poor soul with a wife and three kids is 'hard'.
I would assume that one such as this LHR Rain has in mind as fallback Plan A simply to move into management, for which he would seem to be amply qualified. All those hard decisions come easy when it just makes things hard for others, I imagine. There is an even more popular saying than that one about the torch, namely, 'Look out for Number One!' that may rule such a mind.
Just curious of course, but just how old are you, LHR Rain? I am almost 58, of course but you are out of your teens, I assume? I just want to get a fuller picture of you than your postings so far have offered, since you seem to be a rather unique personality. I hope you don't take my question as impertinent, unless you prize impertinence. It is a rather youthful thing, impertinance, like a squirt of fresh-squeezed lemon juice in the eye, hmmm?