I tend to allow players to decide before they make the war roll if they want to purposely fail or take their chances. If they choose to end it then they get the same war term skills as normal (double for US regular troops, normal plus secondary activities for European draftees, etc).
It allows a player who knows they're going to loose stats due to age to pull out a bit early, maintaining their attributes, but sacrificing the chance of greater skill (and the possibility of maintaining their attributes anyway if they roll well).
With regards to background and secondary skills, if the player can justify why they should have say mechanic, then I'll probably allow it. Some skills though are just never going to be available outside formal training from the first or subsequent term lists - Nuclear warhead, or any type of heavy weapons for example.
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If it moves, shoot it, if not push it, if it still doesn't move, use explosives.
Nothing happens in isolation - it's called "the butterfly effect"
Mors ante pudorem
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