Shaved heads in basic training; is this mandatory? If it is, then why and why only for males?
Have the lines between male and female been erased? Are they trying to be erased or are we picking and choosing which ones we want to erase? Why does a male soldier have no choice in keeping his hair but a female does? If you love Liberty you will vote below.
ADDED: Could this be considered a form of hazing with the crackdown on hazing since this is obviously not a requirement but more of a tradition? I'm not saying I think it is I'm just asking the question. If it's not required and it doesn't apply to everyone.
*****UPDATED******
Well, well, well what do we have here?
http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/careers/2015/01/08/rtc-boot-camp-haircuts-navy/21439483/
- since when were females ever really treated equally in the military
- males getting their heads shaved creates uniformity/being able to have hair is some kind of right of passage mumbo jumbo
- The number of female recruits would drastically dwindle if they had to shave their heads for 9 weeks. (That would've been a deal breaker for me)
- show me a man who doesn't appreciate a woman with a beautiful head of hair
- Drill sergeant or not, no one wants to stare at bald females. Female's hair is all they get to preen over in basic. You take that away, and morale is certain to nosedive
Annihilate whatever baggage in terms of irrelevant, civilian-world status that new inductees have brought with them in their minds. The only thing about them that matters during IET is that they've decided to become Soldiers and they are now learning to be Soldiers. Everything else is nothing. You've kids from all over country, from different backgrounds, with different attitudes, and different personalities, many of whom never would have encountered each other in civilian life. They now have in common that most important thing (Soldiering). Focus them on that.
With regard to females: Hair matters more for females and it takes longer to grow it back to a conventional female hair length. I would keep shaving for males, not for females.
Also everyone 18+ should sign up for selective service no exceptions
And I took it.(they needed the AFSC I had. I became Active duty on my 18th B’day. Shortly after the Sqdn Clerk asked if I ever signed for selective service. He had my 201 opened in front of him, why ask a
Stupid question. The answer is in front of him.. So I never answered ... ($&@€£¥%#|\!) I didn’t believe I needed to.. I pulled out my cover and put it on on the way out the door.. I think he figured it out a few days later..
Demi Moore, "GI Jane", 'nuff said
Males are also to keep a gentlemanly appearance and behavior. Well...again that’s someone debatable and subjective.
I agree getting your hair shaved in BCT is part of tradition for men, part of cutting the civilian out and rebuilding, and a whole lot more about hygiene. By the time it grows back (2-3 weeks someone said), you’re transitioning phases, you need the little break and rest. I’m sure it’s not restful, but it’s also not a 10-12 mile foot march (Are there still foot marches in BCT? It’s been a while since I’ve been through it.)
Females go through their own mandatory changes in basic training. As someone mentioned, yes, we have our mandatory 5 wellness exams before going to BCT and then annually to every 3 years depending on service branch and health. (Not to take away from turning your head a coughing.)
But forcing a female to shave her head bc it would be funny, as mentioned by another, is not a correct answer. The standards for culture apply even in 670-1....ie only black females can have corn rows and twists, it’s faddish for all other races. Beards are allowed for certain religions during certain periods, ie mourning.
This is not a new question, nor is the question of equal APFT scores. I don’t care who says what about getting and being equal...there are physical and psychological differences between males and females. Thinking otherwise is stupid. That doesn’t mean in behavior (from or towards) or social standing genders should be treated different classes in society or in the military. A better fight / question right now, given our equal rights and ability to serve in combat arms, is “why are females not required to sign up for selective service at 18?”
So you understand, while you were retired, the rest of us were rotating in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan and a whole lot of the Army you knew (nearly 20 years ago now) has moved on and changed.
While knowing history is important, unfortunately, you misunderstood the initial comment and your remarks are sexist.
Thank you and have a wonderful day.
In today’s Army, shaved heads is more in line with the Basic Training concept where a Recruit is stripped of all their “Rights “ and we earn them back as “Privileges,” a concept I agree with. And, in fairness, this should apply to ALL Soldiers, not just the men!
Seems to me, shaving the head has a couple of benefits...lice control being one...spotting unknown medical issues is a possibility, but more than anything it's about bringing everyone to the same level. Now, I can't speak for the Army, but in the Marine Corps we still have segregated boot camp. I believe it should stay this way, but that's a different discussion.
If you shave all the boy's heads in boot camp it creates a sense of equality in treatment and respect. They all lose their hair and all look a little silly.
Shaving women's heads seems a bit over the top. A woman, in my opinion, should be treated as such. This isn't a misogynistic point of view, but rather a more conservative one. In some circles, you shame a woman by shaving her head. I do think a shortened hair cut would be in order for all female recruits.
As a side note, suggesting that getting your head shaved in boot, or basic is hazing is just stupid. Put that garbage out of your mind.
http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/careers/2015/01/08/rtc-boot-camp-haircuts-navy/21439483/

Navy boot camp mulls no longer shaving recruits' heads
Women taking part in a three-month pilot program at boot camp will not be required to get their hair cut. A similar move is being considered for men.
Men and women are different and different accommodations need to be made within reason. Otherwise men will be getting bras and women will have to shave. And what of ear rings? Should men get to wear them?
Hair length for Female Soldiers in Basic debate.....? Of course it's obvious I'm referring more to veteran/disabled vet type issues here and thought it would peak some serious interest but hair is on front-page news, lol! I'm sure a few posts will come through on my strange question :).
Awesome! I think I'm getting proficient with I-phone copy, paste, etc, LOL! Thanks for asking Vickie :) yea the link or copy from My discussion above. I know ppl post so many questions and such, I just noticed that the moderators or same folks always get big discussions, I only want a small one ;). I think it may appear like a "dis functional vet" type question, lol, but I'm hoping it can be something more than that. Would enjoy your thoughts as Active duty and you always keep it real! Shon (first name since off-duty, right?).

Do fellow combat veterans want to expatriate to another country? | RallyPoint
I'm going deeper now, Doc Hill here ready for serious discussion here! I don't fit in anywhere, I'm tired of direction much in our country has taken in general, and after spending a lot of time in 3rd world or developing countries, I sincerely desire to move to a place like Belize, Costa Rica, or South America. I worked hard to learn Spanish, blonde blue eyes notwithstanding, do you feel same often? Do many of us lose our "Identity" here...
As to Basic, as a former BCT Cdr, I echo SFC Cardenas in that there simply isn't time to allow for the males getting whatever style they want.
As for female Soldiers in Basic...in my company they were losing half a day of training every three weeks to keep their hair done....sorry but that's a waste of my training time, a waste of their Soldier time, and a definite waste of Drill Sergeant time transporting and baby-sitting them at a hair salon.
After Basic, I don't really care, providing it doesn't look unprofessional and doesn't get in the way of job duties.
So go ahead and grumble and gripe. Not going to change anything.
Until males and females must meet exactly the same standards, the equality between the sexes is a myth.
And yes, I think the shaved head should apply to everyone, men and women.
There are different standards including PT. Men tend to have more upper body strength and endurance. Women tend to have better lower body/legs strength and endurance. They can tolerate pain better than we can.
I shave my head sometimes but it takes far longer. In BCT when there is over 200 people waiting efficiency is key. A woman who cuts her hair shorter(not a boy cut) before BCT is doing a good thing. We have an image to uphold. The Army doesn't see skin color like so many. There is Army Green. Rank is the definer as well as personal merit. Of course, officers are called "Sir" and "Ma'am" and that's common sense.
The cut along with many other things is part of a transition from civilian to solder. I've been out for some years and don't care if my head is shaved or trimmed. A woman's hair tends to be a defining characteristic. In our Class A's you can easily see the difference in a male and female soldier.
In conclusion, should shaving heads be required for everyone? Yes. Those of you who know how BCT is and with so little downtime, females must have their hair up unless they are showering or sleeping. Shaving removes almost all of the hair and allows for a new, healthy growth of head hair and greatly reduces the chance for lice. It's uncommon to see a woman with a shaved head like that unless they are of a particular stereotype.
BCT runs roughly just over 2 months. Hair grows roughly 1/2" a month on average. Trimming a female's hair in BCT would take much longer. I would have the female show up for an inspection a few days before going to MEPS.