Effective April 20, 2026, the U.S. Army raised its maximum enlistment age from 35 to 42 for the Regular Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard. The regulation also eliminated waiver requirements for single marijuana/drug paraphernalia convictions.
The last time the Army raised the age limit to 42 was 2006 — during the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, when recruitment shortfalls forced the military to expand its pool. The Army missed recruitment targets by roughly 23% in 2023 and 25% in 2022, though it met 100% in 2024-2025.
The change aligns the Army with the Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The Navy allows enlistment to 41; the Marines remain at 28.
Important context: The Army says this policy was in development since 2023 (under the Biden administration) and codifies an existing internal practice. Snopes rated the Iran war connection as a “mixture” — the age raise is real, but attributing it to the Iran war specifically is unconfirmed. The regulation (AR 601-210) was published March 20, 2026.
However, the timing is notable: announced during an active unauthorized war with Iran that polls show young Americans (18-29) disproportionately oppose. RAND Corporation identified “older youth” as a “crucial, largely untapped” recruitment source in 2023. Average recruit age has already risen from 21.7 to 22.7.