Beards are allowed on SOF soldiers or those in the Unites States military that have permission for "relaxed grooming standards." A beard serves the function of allowing an American better hide himself in certain cultural environments.
Beards and sideburns are banned in all military and police forces since the early 20th century. A clean-shaved face is considered part of a spirit of order, hygiene and discipline. Stubble is also considered unacceptable and controlled with severity.
One answer to why the special forces have beards is that they need to blend in. The military allows the special forces “relaxed grooming standards” not because of folliculaphilia but because of the jobs they do. For instance, showing up to the Middle East without a beard can put a soldier at a disadvantage.
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 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.
All Royal Navy vessels have a "no touching rule" that prohibits intimate relationships on board, but the Navy takes a particularly harsh view when it might affect the chain of command.
The ban was introduced in 1985, meaning that out of our 247-year naval history, during only 37 years have beards been disallowed.
Its members often do not tell anyone except close family that they are in it. The British Ministry of Defence (MOD) rarely speaks of the SAS and mission details are never released until much later. The badge of the organisation is a winged sword of Damocles. It shows the motto: Who Dares Wins.
An unkempt appearance is not acceptable irrespective of whichever regiment a soldier serves in. ' A former member of the SAS said long hair and beards had become an unnecessary trend amongst some Special Forces units. He said: 'It is something which has been adopted from serving with the US Navy Seals and Delta Force.
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.
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.
(3) Hair length, when in uniform, may touch, but not fall below a horizontal line level with the lower edge of the back of the collar. With jumper uniforms, hair may extend a maximum of 1-1/2 inches below the top of the jumper collar. Long hair, including braids, will be neatly fastened, pinned, or secured to the head.
Upon joining the Navy, you must: Meet specific eyesight requirements: 20/40 best eye; 20/70 worst eye; correctable to 20/25 with no color blindness.
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.
Are women capable of becoming Navy SEALs? Yes. Here are some of the qualifications that both men and women must pass in order to begin training. Be a U.S. Citizen and eligible for security clearance.
You can apply to become a Navy SEAL as a civilian, a Navy sailor or even as a service member from another military branch. Both new recruits and active-duty military candidates must pass a battery of physical, technical and psychological exams.
British Army
"There has been no change in Army policy regarding beards, which can only be grown with the Commanding Officer's authority. Exceptions are usually only granted on medical or religious grounds, or where tradition permits."
While it liberalizes many regulations, it does not address the most requested change: the ability to wear beards. Right now, an airman who needs to wear a beard for religious or medical reasons must to get a shaving waiver. The most common medical reason is pseudofolliculitis barbae.
Purses, Parkas, and Patches—Air Force Uniform Board Unveils New Changes, But No Beards.
The ban on women serving in frontline units, including the SAS and SBS, was lifted in 2018.
In order to thin out the herd, the SAS holds one of the most arduous and rigorous selection and training programs in the modern special operations community. Timed cross-country marches, treks through jungles, and a mountain climb are just a few of the challenges that make joining the SAS an extreme task.
Mike Sadler, 101, is the last surviving member of the original SAS and today tells the Mirror what it was like to fight in the desert with the unit, which was the idea of Scottish aristocrat and mountaineer David Stirling.
The Marine Corps allows medically required beards and diverse hairstyles for women, and has relaxed its rules around tattoos.
Originally, one of the reasons for the induction haircut was to reduce the chances of disease among closely quartered recruits from different geographical areas (with varying immunities), such as head lice.
Whiskers can prevent the rubber of gas masks forming a good seal around the face, leaving the wearer at risk. It's partly for this reason that since 1985 the likes of the US Navy has insisted that all its sailors are clean shaven.