Excluding limited exemptions for religious accommodation, the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps have policies that prohibit beards on the basis of hygiene and the necessity of a good seal for chemical weapon protective masks.
Per AR 670-1, male Soldiers must maintain a clean-shaven face in uniform, or in civilian clothes while on duty. While mustaches are authorized, Soldiers must keep them neatly trimmed, tapered, and tidy. Handlebar mustaches, goatees, and beards are not authorized.
PFB has a long history in the military dating back to World War I, when shaving was enforced not only to ensure good personal hygiene and to foster good order and discipline but also to ensure gas masks would seal in the event of a chemical attack.
The Army says beards and whiskers are only to be worn with authority, which will usually be granted only on medical or religious grounds, or where tradition permits.
The Coast Guard, Army and Air Force allow beards in limited circumstances, including on religious and medical grounds. The Navy's reasoning falls in line with its “cultural twitch” on grooming and uniforms, said James Holmes, who chairs the maritime strategy program at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I.
Trivia answer: Special Operations Forces are allowed to have beards and long hair so that they have the opportunity to blend in with the communities they work in, such as in Afghanistan, where beards are common. Senka Doležal and 156 others like this.
4, 2019, following a series of reviews by the Naval Safety Center that said beard hair posed a safety risk for face seals on breathing devices such as respirators. Beards are typically not allowed in the service except for religious and medical exemptions.
Navy officials have said beards can be an operational risk for sailors who have to put on a breathing apparatus, and stubble can cause an improper seal on firefighting or gas masks, which is an essential ability for service members aboard ships.
The pioneer sergeant also acted as the blacksmith for the unit. As a result, he was allowed a beard to protect his face from the heat of the forge. Nowadays the Pioneer Sergeant is usually responsible for carpentry, joinery and similar types of work.
Tajikistan. Beards are discouraged by the government for most men in Tajikistan in a stated effort to battle radicalism. Only clean-shaven men can apply for a passport. Beards are often forcibly shaved off by police officers.
Generally, men in the U.S. military treated by a licensed medical professional for shaving-related skin problems may be given a shaving waiver, called a shaving profile.
Current military policies require all male members to maintain a clean shave whenever in uniform, unless waivered.
A neat and well-groomed appearance is fundamental to the military and its history. Today, the traditional military buzz cut also standardizes the look for troops, adhering to guidelines, and gives a sense of uniformity, equality, and cohesion among recruits.
So can I have a beard in the British Army or not? The simple answer is no, unless you have a medical condition that requires you to grow a beard, or if you need to grow and maintain a beard on religious grounds. That's it according to AR 670-1.
Around the early 1980s, facial hair fell out of favor in the workplace. It has persisted since then that the image of the clean-shaven face is synonymous with professionalism.
Although all branches of the U.S. armed forces employ the tradition of the induction haircut, the U.S. Marines have adopted the most severe version – a "zero-length" clipper blade to the scalp, although not shorter to avoid any minor injuries to recruits' head moles or other lesions.
Excluding limited exemptions for religious accommodation, the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps have policies that prohibit beards on the basis of hygiene and the necessity of a good seal for chemical weapon protective masks.
So, can cops have beards? The answer is…it depends. While most departments require officers to be clean-shaven, there are exceptions and accommodations that can be made for religious or medical reasons.
The standard states that the employer cannot permit respirators with tight-fitting facepieces to be worn by employees who have facial hair that comes between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face, or that interferes with valve function.
However, the greatest attachment to it is certainly in the military. After a long evolution, the moustache was an indispensable attribute of the army by the 19th century. The soldier with a moustache is the very image of virility, in terms of his trade, his uniform and his physical appearance.
The official explanation for this practice was field sanitation, to help reduce the risk of spreading head and/or body lice. In addition to personal hygiene benefits, the military buzz cut has had the following effects: Standardization of military look for troops. Adherence to regulations.
But, while beards were officially outlawed, soldiers and Marines in sustained combat operations sometimes grew beards – if for no other reason than it was too hard to shave under fire. World War I was the first conflict where shaving was required.
According to the Navy, only the head, face and scalp are off limits. The neck and behind the ear may have one tat but it should be restricted to one inch. Additionally, tattoos on the torso should not be visible through the white uniform shirt. For the rest of the body, there is no restriction on size and placement.
Though some Marines decide to have a mustache so long as it fits within the above guidelines, the majority of members are notoriously clean shaven. The one exception is chest hair, which technically doesn't fall within facial hair, but is still specified under Marine personal appearance policy.
Generally speaking, your face must be clean-shaven and facial hair is not allowed (aside from mustaches) as a function of the armed forces' interest in becoming and appearing as one, cohesive unit.