The current limit is 39 for people without previous military service who want to enlist in the reserves and the National Guard and 35 for those seeking active duty.

David S. C. Chu, undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, told a House subcommittee that lifting the age limit was one of several tools needed to turn sagging recruitment around, The Washington Post said.

Allowing older soldiers could be costly in terms of benefits and there is the thorny issue of whether older men and women can keep up with the young.

But, many in the military argue that 40-somethings are in better physical shape today and point out that thousands of middle-age soldiers are already rotating through Iraq.

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