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\nThe U.S. Army is making several changes to its enlistment program, including raising the age limit to 42 and relaxing its cannabis conviction policy. <\/p>\n
\nThe U.S. Army is making several changes to its enlistment program, including raising the age limit to 42 and relaxing its cannabis conviction policy. <\/p>\n
The U.S. Army is lifting its enlistment age cap from 35 to 42 years old, which will align with the Air Force and Space Force, according to an unclassified U.S. Army memo dated March 20, 2026. <\/p>\n
Each military branch has age limits for enlistment in active duty, which all begin at 17 years old with parental permission or 18 without, but they cap out at different ages. <\/p>\n
The enlistment age limit for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard is 41. The Marine Corps has the shortest window for enlistment, capping eligible recruits at 28 years old.<\/p>\n
Exceptions to the upper age limits are made on a case-by-case basis. <\/p>\n
The military temporarily increased its maximum enlistment age to 42 in 2006 but dropped it back down to 35 in 2016, according to an article in Stars and Stripes, which said the move was made because the Army “struggled to fill its ranks amid major combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.” <\/p>\n
The article also claimed that recent age limit increases for the Air Force and Space Force in 2023 were attributed to a “yearslong slump” in enlistment numbers. <\/p>\n
The Army is also changing its policy to allow recruits with a single conviction of cannabis possession or possession of drug paraphernalia to enlist without a waiver.
\nSource: WHAS11 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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