Military services can enforce stricter enlistment standards than those set by the Defense Department
Military services can enforce stricter enlistment standards than those set by the Defense Department  
Podcast: The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Published On: Thu Feb 26 2026
Description: An expunged record at the state level may not be enough to qualify for military service. A federal appeals court says the service branches can enforce stricter enlistment standards than those set by the Defense Department, and don’t have to honor state expungements when evaluating potential recruits. Federal News Network’s Anastasia Obis spoke to Ira Rushing, associate with Tully Rinckey PLLC, about how the court’s decision could impact current service members or potential recruits.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.