The U.S. Air Force is raising the age limit for recruits to 42 after experiencing its worst recruitment year since 1999. The age limit for recruits wishing to serve as pilots or in front-line roles will remain at 33 years old. Declining enthusiasm and lack of quality among new recruits has become a serious issue for the U.S. military. The National Pulse previously reported that nearly 70 percent of U.S. soldiers are considered overweight or obese.
Enacted on October 24th, the change in Air Force recruitment policy comes after the service branch announced it missed its 2023 fiscal year goal of adding 26,877 recruits by 10 percent. The lagging recruitment numbers are especially concerning as the Air Force has relaxed several service requirements over recent years in an effort to bolster its numbers. For the current fiscal year, the service branch has set a target of 25,900 recruits.
Brig. Gen. Christopher Amrhein, who heads the San Antonio-based Air Force Recruiting Service, brushed aside concerns that bolstering manpower with older Americans could have a negative impact on military readiness. “We are not lowering any of our standards. Someone who is 42 still has to meet the same accession requirements as younger applicants,” Gen. Armheim said regarding readiness concerns, adding the policy change “is about identifying opportunity for talent out there.”
In 2014, the Air Force raised the age limit for recruits from 27 to 39. The new 42 year old cut off is the highest among the armed services – the U.S. Navy’s age limit for recruits is 41. t
