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“Increases the maximum enlistment age up to and including age 42 for non-prior service applicants” (previously maximum age was 35)

“Eliminates requirement of a waiver for a single conviction of possession of marijuana or a single conviction of possession of drug paraphernalia”

Seems like they're having trouble recruiting people to serve as America launches headlong into GWOT 2.0 with no plan. It makes sense that people aren't signing up: it's a very unpopular war that was started by assassinating leaders during peace talks and bombing an elementary school, and it's not one they're winning.

And it's also a war with no clear benefit to Americans, which Marco Rubio admitted they were dragged into by Israel.

Yes, and still note, about using the word "winning". Jeannette Rankin: "You can no more win a war, than you can win an earthquake"
They've had the best recruiting performance in 10+ years.
I think smart people do NOT want to enlist while Trump is Commander in Chief and Hegseth is in charge of the Military. The way the crew of the USS Ford have been treated is despicable.
+ a war for another country
If the war keeps Trump in office, it has fulfilled its purpose and will be counted a win.

This is why I suspect that Israel might at least have encouragement from the U.S., direct or indirect.

> during peace talks

Well, I'm old enough to remember many "peace talks" go to eternity wit absolutely zero results. In many countries around the world. Just to create the argument.

Up from 35 years. Average age is currently 22, though. Air Force and Space force went to 42 years back in 2023. The Navy went to 42 years in early 2026.

Maximum age for the Marines remains 28 years.

With high youth unemployment [1], it ought to be easier to recruit.

The land war is getting closer. The Army's 82nd Airborne has been sent towards Iran. Possibly to take Kharg Island, one of the very few objectives for which an airdrop might possibly make sense.[1] Possibly. 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force is already on the way.

[1] https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SLUEM1524ZSUSA

[2] https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-03-24-2026

When I joined the army as an infantryman back in the early 2000s there were kids who couldn’t start basic training because they weren’t capable of doing 6 pushups. 6.

I believe at the time they were allowing 38 year olds to join for the first time which seemed crazy to me. Now that I’m in my early 40s I can’t imagine going back in

If they want to draft any significant number of people, they will have to greatly lower the fitness standards.
For a second I thought your username was sharpshooter but then it got even better as I re-read it. Thankyou for the laugh.

In 2012 Lieutenant General Mark Hertling had a TED talk [1] about this very issue and I think it still very much applies today.

[1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWN13pKVp9s [video][16m][TED-Talk]

I've never been capable of 1 push up, or pull up, even after 6 weeks of the best efforts of MCRD back in 1983. They were looking for a few good men, turns out I wasn't one of them.

I aced the aptitude test, and totally failed the PFT.

Right, but that was before older people found out about Tai Chi! Youtube keeps telling me it’s a great way get ripped at 50! /s
I went into the armed forces recruiting office a year or two ago for Air Force Cyber and the adjacent Army and Navy recruiters were complaining that no one wanted to join while everyone was asking for Air Force when the Air Force recruiter was out for most of the year because he had met his quotas. Somehow I ended up in the Navy office and suffice to say I left the office with a big no to the Navy man no matter how much he tried to persuade me with promises of seeing the world. I have the internet for that thank you.

All my vet friends said to reconsider and I wisely followed their advice.

Good to have friends that can take the romance out of something. Not much world to see on the inside of an aircraft carrier is what I hear.
How did the Navy recruiting office turn you away from joining up?
Born too early to go to war in the Middle East

Born too late to go to war in the Middle East

Born just in time to go to war in the Middle East

Effective April 20? Sometimes these days it’s hard to distinguish reality from The Onion.
And the age was set to 42.0
someone in that office knew exactly what they were doing with that date
How many young men do you know who have never tried marijuana, don't have a tattoo and don't have facial hair? A few years ago it seemed the Army didn't actually want to recruit young men. They loosened the tattoo requirements in 2022. The facial hair requirement remains, but that's less of an imposition since you can grow it back.

They'll have to start taking harassment seriously if they want to recruit more young women.

There are limits on gang tattoos, face/neck/hand tattoos and tattoos that promote various hate-based or extremist ideologies (e.g. Nazi or KKK tattoos.) Other than that, tattoos are allowed.
Given Sec. Hegseth's record, I don't think he really wants women in the military.
I don't know about the facial hair. It would take me months to grow back my moustache, and until then I'd look 10 years younger. Given my age that would be pretty ridiculous.
Facial hair doesn't matter, you're just required to shave.

Tattoos don't matter unless they're in a particular set of extremes.

Marijuana also really doesn't matter, it's easily waiverable if you didn't have a chronic problem recently.

Harassment is so heavily punished in the military I don't think you're informed on this topic beyond a few wild headlines.

It's extremely common knowledge that harassing women will ruin your military career very quickly.

I wonder how many of Gulf War II's 17-19-year-olds they'll get to re-enlist.
They are having problems meeting the fitness standard right now. It seems these tests just get harder as you age.
Surprised comments are so negative. I think it's a great thing to expand - the military can be an excellent career path, and this allows more people to take it should they choose.

I know many 40 somethings in way better shape than most 20 somethings. And all things considered, if I were someday somehow sent off to war, I'd much rather be surrounded by the former assuming equivalent fitness.

Finding it hard to compete with the rigorous ICE recruitment standards?
I'd rather the old go to war before the young, even if they are worse at it.
What will US public do if US in Iran ends up like Russia in Ukraine, recruiting 30K soldiers every month to die in middle east?

Maybe at this time they are having trouble recruiting but just like Russia US has large prison population that may like the offer thar Russian prisoners got: 6 months on the frontlines, if you survive you are free and well paid.

Just today Iran backed militants released a video of drones takings out US helicopters and radars, very similar to what we are used to seeing in Ukraine.

Is US public really ready to support such a thing and endure hardship like the Russians for ideological causes?

It’s fascinating, maybe Trump is right- maybe his supporters are literally tired of winning and want attrition?

As a 37 year old who has been growing more patriotic and willing to serve with age, I'm excited about having the option.
Maybe one of the lessons the American government learned from the war in Ukraine is that middle aged men can fight wars too.
The military has spent decades working on a general aptitude test, called the ASVAB [1]. It's a score up to 99, which is usually what people focus on, but there are also line scores for things like electrical and mechanical. When you join, there'll be a score range you'll need to be in and possibly certain subtest scores.

Generally speaking, you've needed a minimum ASVAB of 31 to join the military. Recruiting stations will have quotas of only accepting so many below 50 so if you're below 50 you may have a more restrictive choice of job, even though you qualify, because you're an undesirable candidate. You take up a valuable sub-50 slot. Oh and below 50 and the Air Force won't even sneeze on you. They don't have to take you. They have more than enough applicants.

This can go the other way too. You can score too high for certain jobs such that they won't want to sign you up because you'll get bored. This is way less common obviously.

Every area of the country is covered by a recruiting station ("RS") for each branch and is staffed by recruiters who usually aren't volunteers (eg most marines on a re-enlistment after an initial 4 years will have to do a Special Duty Assignment--SDA--and will end up as a recruiter or a drill instructor). Each recruiter will generally have a quota to fill of 2 contracts per month.

In some areas (eg Texas) this is no problem at all. Recruiters can be picky. In others, it's way more of a challenge. Anyway, a few years ago the enlistment numbers for the Navy must've gotten so bad that for awhile they were accepting an ASVAB of 10 [1]. 10 is bordering on illiterate.

I say this because raising the maximum enlistment age to 42 is almost as desperate as lowering the ASVAB minimum to 10. I cannot imagine a 42 year old E-! in basic getting yelled at by a 23 year old DI. You won't be doing 20 for the pension. I guess you'll get the GI Bill after 3-4 years. That's something I guess? Most other 42 year olds you'll meet will be near or beyond their 20 years.

[1]: https://taskandpurpose.com/news/navy-recruiting-afqt-asvab-s...

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armed_Services_Vocational_Apti...

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=April+20

April 20: National Get High day.

Age 42.0

St Elon is risen and is now running Army recruitment.

We are slowly grinding towards another world war the reason similar to world war 2. Ie an ethno state expanding it's territory while considering it's population as some kind of master race so commiting a genocide against the rest. Ironic the victims have become the perpetuators.
Unfortunately the age limit means that Mr Trump and Mr Hegseth are ineligible...
And Americans were laughing when Russia was doing something similar. Pot calling the kettle black.
Sadly Pete Hegseth is 45.
> Effective 20 April 2026

Oh, come on.

Who wouldn't want to join an organization led by people with Christian Nationalist tattoos, into yet another war in the Middle East, for Operation: Epstein Distraction, AND Israel decides when we go to war? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3pL_ZCWPz0)

I'm sure they'll have no trouble recruiting the kinds of people they want - no woke, no DEI, no women, nobody who'd be troubled by symbols of swastikas or nooses (https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/11/20/...).

Hey, for the people who DO sign up, they'll get to use Trump Drones! Well, Trump's sons drones (https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/trump-sons-ba...). Those big juicy contracts were definitely awarded on merit, right? Right; good luck!

Join up! You can defend our "freedoms". Like the freedom to have ICE ignore the Constitution! We can do war crimes (bombing boats of Venezuela) now! The FCC threatens talk show hosts, and Pete Hegseth has opinions on the Scouts having girls in it (https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/441701...) but remember: they hate us for our FREEDOM. ( some conditions apply. )

Maybe the Air Force? Well, if you like Erika Kirk and White Christian Nationalism: (https://theintercept.com/2026/03/19/air-force-academy-charli...).

[rumor] It's not like sailors are so desperate to get out of this situation that they'd set fire to the laundry room on an aircraft carrier... right?(https://news.usni.org/2026/03/23/carrier-uss-gerald-r-ford-a...) I mean, 8 months at sea, dumb ass war nobody wants. Hmm. [this one's just a rumor, of course].

Besides: They said recruiting was WAY up, and we already won in Iran. Weird they'd need to loosen the rules, right? Weird...