The US Army is raising its maximum enlistment age from 35 to 42 and scrapping the waiver requirement for a single conviction of marijuana possession or paraphernalia, with both changes coming into force on 20 April 2026.
Announced through an expedited update to Army Regulation 601-210 published last week, the policy overhaul is designed to widen the net for potential recruits as the service continues to battle shortfalls in enlistment numbers. The revisions apply to the regular Army as well as the Reserve and National Guard components.
