Sunrise sports reporter Mark Beretta has joined the army.

The 53-year-old sports presenter is working at the Australian Army’s Victoria Barracks in Sydney, where he’s been appointed the rank of Captain.

The TV reporter said the he’d thought about joining the army reserves for years, but he thought he was too old.

“It’s something I’ve always had in the back of my mind since school days,” he told 3AW’s Tony Jones.

“I ended up in a bar with some recruiters in Brisbane not too long ago,” he said.

“They said, ‘well actually, you’re not too old!”

Mr Beretta, who is working in the army’s public affairs service, said the experience has been wonderful.

“I’ve actually really enjoyed it. It’s been much better than I ever imagined,” he said.

As for immediately becoming a Captain, Mr Beretta was awarded the rank under the army’s specialist service officer scheme, which gives recruits a rank that’s equivalent to their area of expertise outside of the army.

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