The youngest millennials – also known as “Generation Y” – are currently 30 years old, and they’ll have more than a decade to consider a career in the United States Army. The service announced this week an update to its recruiting regulations that raised the maximum age a recruit can be to 42. Also, it removed a barrier that would have prevented those with a single legal conviction for possession of marijuana or drug paraphernalia from joining.
The new Army Regulations 601-210, published on March 20, will go into effect on April 20.
From 35 to 42
Until this recent change, the U.S. Army had previously placed an age limit of 35, even as some exceptions had been made. The U.S. Navy currently sets its age limit at 41, with the U.S. Air Force and Space Force setting it at 42.
The increase in the maximum age reflects an increase in the age of recruits.
Currently, the Army stated that the average age of recruits is 22 years, four months, and is continuing to increase.
According to a RAND Corporation report by Kate Kuzminski, older recruits have typically scored higher on enlistment qualification tests but have also been more likely to reenlist and be promoted more quickly than those who joined the service at age 20 or younger.
The Army hasn’t changed the minimum age to sign up, which remains 18. Those who are 17 may still join with parental permission.
The maximum enlistment age applies to applicants with and without prior military service.
The U.S. Army has seen benefits in recruiting individuals who may have already gone to college or have some years under their belts, developing skills and other knowledge.
“We’re kind of looking at a more mature audience that might have experience in technical fields,” Col. Angela Chipman, chief military personnel accessions & retention division, told Task & Purpose, noting that the Army is increasingly more focused on recruiting individuals with technical skills. “We need warrant officers with extreme technical capabilities, and those will come from the enlisted ranks.”
The United States Marine Corps has maintained its cutoff age of 28, but does grant age waivers in some circumstances.
Marijuana Waiver Changes
The other change made as part of the Army Regulations 601-210 update was removing the need for a waiver for drug offenses. Going forward, recruits will no longer require a waiver for a single conviction related to the possession of marijuana or related drug paraphernalia, such as bongs, pipes, and other items.
Previously, recruits had to wait 24 months following a conviction after obtaining a waiver, and then would have to pass a drug test.
This comes due to changes in society, including marijuana being legal in several states, even as it is still illegal federally.
However, the change applies only to a single offense, not to those with a pattern of convictions or other behavioral issues, in which case a waiver would still be required.
Recent Recruiting Goals Reached
It is noteworthy that the U.S. Army is changing its recruiting policies, even as the service had surpassed its fiscal year 2025 (FY25) goals four months early. FY25 was also the second year in a row that all the branches of the military met their recruiting goals, but it came after the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy had respectively struggled to fill the ranks.
The Army had previously relaxed some policies on tattoos and prior drug use. It established its “Future Soldier Prep Course,” which offers lower-performing recruits up to 90 days of academic or fitness instruction.
The U.S. Army has also continued to employ social media campaigns to reach Generation Z and younger millennials, including YouTube videos and promotions on other platforms such as Reddit and Facebook. The service had previously even attempted to reach younger people via video games.
Now it is seeing that going older might be an easier way to reach the recruiting goals.
