The U.S. Army officially raised the maximum enlistment age from 35 to 42 years old and relaxed restrictions on recruiting individuals with marijuana convictions.
The move comes as the country continues its war with Iran and widens its recruiting pool after struggling to fill the ranks.
The maximum age for eligible recruits changes for “applicants with prior military service,” according to an Army Regulation report released Friday. This aligns the service’s age requirements with the Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard.
The Navy has an age cap of 41, although the Marines’ enlistment limit is 28.
The minimum age to enlist in the Army is still 18, but 17-year-olds can join with parental permission.
Recruits with low-level marijuana convictions previously had to wait two years and pass a drug test before obtaining a waiver to enlist. With the new rule, recruits with a single prior conviction of possession of marijuana or drug paraphernalia may forgo the waiver.
In-service drug use, however, remains strictly prohibited, as military service members are still barred from using illegal drugs, which includes marijuana at the federal level. The Army said it does not “condone or authorize the use of illegal substances among our formation.”
The update codifies a policy first issued in 2023, and it will officially go into effect on April 20.
The update means the Army is letting more people enlist.
In 2022, it missed its 60,000 recruitment goal by roughly 15,000 and lowered its aim to 55,000 recruits in 2024.
After President Trump’s election, the Army saw a massive recruiting turnaround in fiscal 2025. It had a goal of 61,000 recruits and drew 62,050 soldiers.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has credited Mr. Trump with driving the numbers.
• Mary McCue Bell can be reached at mbell@washingtontimes.com.
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