Army Raises Enlistment Age for RCs to 39

The Army has raised the maximum age for Guard and Reserve recruits from 34 years to 39. The three year test adds 22.6 million potential enlistees. The Army will not relax physical standards for the older recruits, who it said were valued for their maturity and patriotism. As of Feb. 28, with only seven months remaining in the 2005 recruiting year, the Army Reserve was more than 10 percent short of its 2005 recruiting target, and the Guard was 24 percent behind its goal, according to Defense Department figures. A DoD spokesperson said it was possible after the three-year test ends in September 2008 that DoD would consider an even older enlistment age. In theory an individual could enlist, earn and receive full retirement at age 60 and skip being a gray area reservist.