The U.S. Army has officially loosened its enlistment requirements as President Donald Trump contemplates putting American ground forces into Iran.
On March 20, the U.S. Department of the Army codified an official expedited revision to its recruitment policy, raising the maximum enlistment age from 35 to 42.
The revision also removed a hurdle for recruits who have a single marijuana or drug paraphernalia conviction to enlist.
The enlistment age now aligns with other branches of the military, including the Air Force and Space Force at 42, and the Navy at 41. The updated requirements are set to go into effect on April 20.
Reached for comment, an Army spokesperson told the Daily Beast in a statement: “The Army simply codified in regulation a policy that was first issued in 2023. The Army regulation is in compliance with the Department of War’s policy and Title 10 USC. The Army has excelled in meeting recruiting goals for fiscal year 2026 and is on track to accomplish the following year’s goal. Also, assessment for waivers of all pre-accession legal offenses will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The Army does not condone or authorize the use of illegal substances among our formation.”
The timing coincides with reports that Trump, 79, is plotting to deploy American boots on the ground in Iran.
Military officials have drafted detailed plans for a ground force deployment in the Middle Eastern country. On Tuesday, the Pentagon ordered the deployment of thousands of troops from the rapid-response 82nd Airborne Division to the region, The Washington Post reported.
On Wednesday, MAGA Rep. Nancy Mace, who has been outspoken about not wanting American ground forces in Iran, seemed to imply that might be exactly what the Trump administration’s next move is.
“Just walked out of a House Armed Services briefing on Iran,” she wrote in a post on X from her personal account. “Let me repeat: I will not support troops on the ground in Iran, even more so after this briefing.”
On her official congressional account, she added that the war justifications shared with the American people do not reflect the same military goals she heard during Wednesday’s briefing.
“This gap is deeply troubling,” Mace, 48, said. “The longer this war continues, the faster it will lose the support of Congress and the American people.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to Mace for comment.
In less than a month of Trump’s war on Iran, 13 American service members have died, and 200 have been injured as a result of the conflict. More than 2,000 people have been killed across the Middle East since Feb. 28, with U.S. and Israeli strikes accounting for more than 1,200 deaths, according to NBC News.
An American peace plan was shot down by Tehran on Wednesday, with the country responding “negatively” to the 15-point proposal.
Iran issued a counterproposal that included recognition of the nation’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, a commitment to ending hostilities, and the payment of war reparations.
The war has been immensely unpopular at home, with 59 percent of Americans believing the U.S. military action in Iran is excessive, according to an AP-NORC poll.
Reached for comment, the White House deferred the Daily Beast to the Department of the Army.
