Did the Army just raise the maximum enlistment age?

Chris, I'm off to war.

But you're...

Old.

I resent that. I know. The maximum age of enlistment was just raised to 42.

Wow, you look good for 42.

I'm 35.

Sure, Dave, so am I.

Anyway, I'm not really off to war. I just wanted to raise awareness around the recent news you may have heard about the enlistment age already raised it back in 2023. They just recently codified it this year on March 20th.

So this change is unrelated to the current war?

According to an Army spokesman, they were just making things official.

What's the maximum age for the Navy and Air Force?

41 and 42 respectively.

So the Army just decided to match them?

They didn't say, but the Army's maximum recruitment age was already 42 before, from 2006 to 2016. I heard in the same announcement that soldiers can smoke weed now. Good for them. No, not officially anyway. If you had previously been convicted of marijuana possession, you needed a waiver. They've lightened up on that a bit.

People are still getting convicted for marijuana use?

It's still legal in some states where they're still sending people to jail.

Didn't Santa or Krampus make it legal last Christmas?

No, you're thinking of President Trump. Last December, he signed an executive order to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule 1 drug to a Schedule 3.

Cool. What does that mean?

Well, for example, it would allow for marijuana to be used as a medical treatment across the

country.

Dave?

Yeah?

Am I going to be drafted? Well, it is true that the Army struggled to recruit people from 2022 to 2024, but since 2025, those numbers have been going back up. So I won't be drafted. If the draft were to come back, and there are currently no plans for that, U.S. male citizens age 18 to 25 would be eligible. Anyway, you're well over 25, right Chris?

How old do you think I am?

How old do you want me to think that you are?

Well, it was nice seeing you.

Chris? Chris? Chris?