The US Army on March 25 (US time) announced new regulations, raising the maximum enlistment age from 35 to 42. This regulation maintains the minimum age of 18, while 17-year-olds can still enlist if they are approved by their parents.
In parallel with raising the age limit, the US Army also lifted restrictions on people who had been convicted of possessing marijuana or drug use tools. Previously, these cases had to apply for special exemption from the Pentagon, wait 24 months and pass the drug test before being eligible for military service.
This is not the first time this military has applied a similar policy. In 2006, the US Army raised the maximum enlistment age to 42 during the tense conflict in Iraq, before reducing it to 35 after about a decade.
The new changes help the recruitment standards of the US Army to be closer to other military services. Currently, the US Navy and Air Force both limit the enlistment age to 41. Meanwhile, the Marine Corps stipulates a ceiling age of 28, but there is still a special licensing mechanism for older people.
According to two sources familiar with the issue, this adjustment decision has been prepared for months and is not related to the conflict with Iran. The move reflects the long-term efforts of the US Army to expand its recruitment sources in the context of a shortage of personnel.
Data shows that the average age of new recruits has increased from 21 in 2010 to nearly 23 in the past year. The Pentagon believes that the biggest challenge for military recruitment is the decreasing number of qualified people. Currently, only about 23% of US youth aged 17-24 meet the standards for military service, mainly due to entrance exam results, obesity and criminal records.
