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.
Beards are only authorized for those Soldiers who require a medical exemption or religious accommodation. Soldiers may receive a profile for facial hair if they have a medical condition warranting facial hair. This will be determined by a medical provider.
Soldiers' Angels
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.
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.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and the beard (even on submarines) became a thing of the past under Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James D. Watkins, who outlawed them in Dec. 1984.
Can you have a beard or mustache in the Navy? Unfortunately, because the Navy wants its sailors to be clean-shaven, beards are not allowed. Mustaches, on the other hand, are allowed under certain conditions.
Current military policies require all male members to maintain a clean shave whenever in uniform, unless waivered.
The hair on the top of the head must be neatly groomed and not bulky. The length of the hair must not present a ragged, unkempt or extreme appearance and any form of length or bulk that detracts from a professional military appearance is prohibited.
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.
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.
Retired personnel are authorized facial hair when wearing Navy uniforms during functions and events. Facial hair must be properly groomed and no longer than 2 inches in length extending from the face outward.
For example, “The length of the beard cannot exceed 1/4 inch” (see TB Med 287). Soldiers will keep the growth trimmed to the level specified by the appropriate medical authority, but are not authorized to shape the hair growth (examples include, but are not limited to, goatees or handlebar mustaches).
As a general rule, the Armed Forces prohibits “tattoos that are prejudicial to good order and discipline, or that are of a nature to bring discredit to their service. Specifically, all of the policies prohibit content related to extremism, sexism, and racism.
The Department of Defense tobacco control policy (set forth in health promotion policy directive 1010.10 and directive 1010.15) prohibits smoking in indoor facilities; however, the policy includes many exemptions.
Hair should be no longer than 4.0 inches. Hair may not touch the ears or collar. It also cannot extend below the eyebrows. Hair bulk cannot be more than 2.0 inches.
Traditionally, members of the special forces and their supporting regiments have been allowed to grow facial hair when on operations away from their barracks. However, when they return they and take part in special occasions, wearing parade uniform, they have been required to be clean shaven again.
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.
Purses, Parkas, and Patches—Air Force Uniform Board Unveils New Changes, But No Beards.
And a dense beard may lend similar protection against deadly attacks by cushioning and absorbing forces directed at the jaw, the facial bone that breaks the most often during combat, researchers recently suggested.
The military is very big on uniformity (less variables to deal with). Having thicker or longer hair makes it difficult to wear military headgear properly, also thick hair can impede the proper fit and function of safety equipment like a chemical mask for example.
The Marine Corps allows medically required beards and diverse hairstyles for women, and has relaxed its rules around tattoos.
The Army tattoo policy for 2021 is adapting to body ink becoming much more a part of general society. The tattoo policy no longer limits the amount or size of tattoos on the body so long as they are not present on the head, face, ears, neck, elbows, or hands.
The Coast Guard is the only service branch that permits one other hand tattoo. This second kind is allowed between the wrist and first knuckle, as long as it's not bigger than 1 inch in diameter. These few restrictions mean that almost anything goes in the military in 2021-2022 with regards to tattoos.
If their hair does not part naturally, they can cut parts into it if they follow these criteria: Parts can't exceed three millimeters in width (about 1/10 of an inch). Parts must be straight lines, not zigzag or other shapes. Hard parts must be cut into a natural part of the scalp (where a part would naturally occur).
The ban was introduced in 1985, meaning that out of our 247-year naval history, during only 37 years have beards been disallowed.