Through the Static

By Hannah Saunders

Courtesy of Trump and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, the U.S. is at war— again— and this time, against Iran, but warning signs from the 20-year war in Afghanistan are surfacing. In response to the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan under the name “Operation Enduring Freedom.” After decades, Afghanistan won that war, even after the Army altered recruitment requirements. With footage of Iranian missiles decimating parts of Tel Aviv and U.S. sites in the region going viral, similar enlistment age caps from 20 years ago are being instated. 

The maximum age for enlistment in the Army in 2006 was temporarily raised from 40 to 42 as a result of the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq and the need to fill ranks and positions. In 2016, the enlistment age was dropped back to 35. 

In the newly-updated Army Regulation 601-210, which was published on March 20, the maximum enlistment age for the regular Army, the Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard, will be bumped to 42 once more for non-prior service applicants and those with previous military experience. It is not clear whether these age requirement changes are permanent or temporary, but people as young as 17 can still enter the armed forces with the consent of a parent or guardian. 

These new procedures will take effect on April 20, and will bring the Army in alignment with the Coast Guard and Air Force. A Stars and Stripes article stated that an Army spokesperson said this change is “meant to better align the service with Defense Department standards.”

The new protocols will also allow people with a single cannabis possession conviction or substance paraphernalia possession conviction to enlist without a waiver instead of getting turned away. The removal of this requirement widens the Army candidate pool and likely reduces paperwork and administrative tasks, allowing for more focus on recruitment and candidates. 

Since the start of the war in Iran, social media users have been speaking out against Trump’s aggression and attacks in the Middle East, demanding he send his 19-year-old son, Barron, to fight in his war. TtS previously reported on South Park writer Toby Morton’s satirical website, draftbarrontrump.com.  

As memes circulated the interwebs, sendbarrontrump.com and its petition sprouted and demanded that Barron and Trump’s other sons, Eric and Don Jr., be sent to the front lines of the war. 

“ICE detains immgirants and tears families apart while the administration asks American Immigrants to fight its wars abroad. If the war in Iran is worth fighting— let the President’s own sons lead the charge,” the website states. 

When TtS first reported on these websites, the petition had a total of seven signatures, and at the time of reporting this article, it has 405 signatures. The goal is 10,000. 

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