The United States Army has officially raised the maximum enlistment age from 35 to 42 and loosened restrictions for people with marijuana-related convictions. The move comes after years in which the force struggled to meet recruitment targets and at a time when the country is at war with Iran.
The new rules, released last week, bring the Army closer to other branches of the Armed Forces. The Air Force increased the maximum age from 39 to 42 in 2023, and the Navy raised the limit from 39 to 41 in 2022.
Under the changes, which come into effect on April 20, candidates with a single previous conviction for possession of marijuana or items related to drug consumption no longer need to request a special authorization (waiver) from the Army to enlist. Previously, those with this type of conviction generally had to wait two to three years and still pass a drug test to be released.
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The directive for this policy was issued in 2023, but the Army only officially incorporated it into regulation last week — a mandatory normative document, according to the force reported in a note.
Katherine Kuzminski, director of studies at the Center for a New American Security and an expert on military recruitment, says the Army likely raised the age limit to align with other branches and expand access to a larger pool of people with specific skills, such as cybersecurity, logistics and transportation specialists.
She co-authored a 2022 Rand Corp report. which analyzed the performance of older recruits in the Army. The study showed that they are more likely to not complete basic training, but once they pass this stage, they are often promoted faster and reenlist at higher rates than recruits under 20.
According to Kuzminski, more mature soldiers, even at the beginning of their military career, “can be a real asset for those who are with them in the barracks and add a lot of value to the Army, especially in more technical roles.”
The marijuana rule changes, she says, are likely aimed at speeding up the process of granting waivers, which can take months — long enough for an applicant to withdraw. She also remembers that the Armed Forces need to keep up with society: almost half of American states have already legalized the recreational use of marijuana.
Even so, military personnel remain prohibited from using illegal drugs. In a statement, the Army said it does not “approve or authorize the use of illegal substances in our ranks.”
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The recruitment problem has been going on for a few years.
In 2022, the Army faced a crisis and was about 15 thousand recruits short of the target of 60 thousand new soldiers. In 2023, it missed the target again by approximately 15 thousand. In 2024, he reduced the objective to 55,000 recruits — a number he only narrowly reached.
Last year, however, the Armed Forces recorded the best result in years: more than 62 thousand new recruits, exceeding the target of 61 thousand, according to the Pentagon. In a statement, the Army said it was on track to meet this year’s goals. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attributed the good performance to support for President Donald Trump.
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Army officials pointed to other reasons: higher unemployment among 16- to 24-year-olds and a preparation program created three years ago to help candidates meet minimum academic performance and body fat index requirements. After 2022, the Armed Forces also began to invest billions of dollars in recruitment campaigns to try to reverse the crisis.
The United States is in the fourth week of war with Iran, and the Pentagon has ordered about 2,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, according to Defense Department officials.
Kuzminski, however, assesses that the new rules have little to do directly with the conflict with Iran. For her, it is much more a response to recruitment difficulties in recent years, coupled with the aging of the American population.
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She highlights that only 23% of young people in the US meet the requirements to serve in the Armed Forces without needing a waiver — and that only around 10% of young people see a military career as a viable option.
“This is much more a response to the challenging recruitment scenario of the last four years than to a specific conflict,” he says. “Seeking as many candidates as possible — which includes not just 18-year-olds but also 42-year-olds who can meet very specific needs — is likely to be increasingly important.”
c.2026 The New York Times Company
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