US raises maximum age for recruits to 42 and scraps cannabis conviction rule
The US Army has raised the maximum age to enlist in the Army from 35 to 42 to ‘align with Defence Department standards’.
The move, which comes amid worries that the United States could put boots on the ground in Iran, expands the age range for those looking to join the army.
Individuals up to 42 with or without prior military service can enlist in the Regular Army, the Army National Guard and the Army Reserves, according to Stars and Stripes.
The Army, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard now all allow those up to 42 years of age to enlist, except for the Navy (41) and Marines (28).
Soldiers who have had one conviction for marijuana will also now be allowed to join the army.
The decision was made to ‘better align’ service with the Department of Defence’s standards, an Army spokesman said.
The announcement comes as at least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division will be sent to the Middle East in the coming days, three people with knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press.
The paratroopers are trained to jump into hostile or contested areas to secure key territory and airfields.
The Pentagon is also in the process of sending about 5,000 more Marines, trained in amphibious assaults, and thousands of sailors to the region.
Earlier this month, the White House appeared to refuse to rule out a draft for the Iran war as an option, sparking furore from both political parties.
‘President Trump does not remove options off the table,’ White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said when asked about a draft.
‘The president, as commander-in-chief, wants to continue to assess the success of this military operation. It’s not part of the current plan right now, but the president, again, wisely keeps his options on the table,’ she added.
What are the rules around enlisting in the UK army?
Since 1963, compulsory military service in Britain has been abolished.
Currently, the British Army totals a little more than 181,000 people, mostly made up of full-time service personnel and Gurkhas, who comprise 77.7%, and volunteer reserves (17.5%).
The UK has a rule that only those who are 16 -18 (with parental consent) and above can enlist in the Army.
After that, the maximum age for regular soldiers is 35 years and six months, but Army Reservists can remain until they’re 42 years and six months.
The question of American boots on the ground in Iran has also placed tension in the White House, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth were said to be ‘at each other’s throats’.
Sources told the MEE that Israel’s request to put US troops in Iran has split the pair, with Hegseth in support of it, but Rubio wary of doing so.
The last time America had a draft was in the early 1970s during the Vietnam War.
Trump could not bring back the draft with an executive order; rather, Congress would have to amend the Military Selective Service Act to authorise the draft again.
That’s highly unlikely, but Leavitt’s remarks about Trump’s mindset regarding the draft have nonetheless rang alarm bells for many.
While running for the White House in 2024, Trump vowed not to start a war, but to ‘stop wars’.
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