US Army Raises Enlistment Age

The United States has officially raised its maximum enlistment age from 35 to 42 years old and relaxed restrictions on recruiting individuals with a single marijuana conviction. These changes, effective April 20, aim to widen the recruitment pool after the United States struggled to meet its goals in previous years, particularly in 2022. The move aligns the United States's age requirements with other branches like the United States, United States, and United States, while the United States has a cap of 41 and the United States — United States Marine Corps at 28. The policy update also allows recruits with a single prior conviction of possession of marijuana or drug paraphernalia to forgo a waiver, though in-service drug use remains prohibited. The United States saw a significant recruiting turnaround in fiscal year 2025, surpassing its goal, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth crediting Donald Trump for the improved numbers. A 2022 Oracle Corporation report had previously recommended increasing the maximum age for enlistment, noting the high quality of older recruits.