Posted on Apr 12, 2014
SSG Robert Burns
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Head shaving
So I was in basic training land today to help with some medical stuff. I couldn't help but noticed all the shaved heads all over the place and then the females with 20 ft of hair. In an era where we are screaming equal treatment; is this equal?I am also wondering why does a new private have to get his head shaved in the first place? Why not just a haircut within Army Standards?

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/
Edited >1 y ago
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SSgt Boyd Welch
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Edited 8 y ago
When I went through (admittedly ages ago) it was a speed and uniformity issue. Men looked uniform and women looked uniform in their own respective groups. If we had kept a reasonable amount of hair I guarantee, people would not be out the barracks in a timely fashion for the next training event.(just want to get that flip just right). Since I was in San Antonio during July and August and temps were 110-115 degrees plus, the wet cap on the head was worth more than gold! loved the breeze through my head bristle standing in front of a big *ss fan!
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LTC Special Operations Response Team (Sort)
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It's sad that no one any longer questions the actions done to the majority and no one sees the hypocrisy in having two standards. Either everyone's heads are shaved or none have to be. Don't sexually discriminate. I think everyone should be shaved. It is a rite of passage. It's surrendering appearance and common public norms for something greater and more important with a sole focus on toe development as a service member.
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SSG Unit Administrative Technician
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Females can't (some did when I was in BCT at Ft. Sill in 2000 and got in trouble). We have to look "feminine". I don't think that men should have to shave theirs though. Just keep it within the regs
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MSgt Rob Weston
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Initially shaving the head of new male recruits came about to prevent lice epidemic, the standards now not only keep thing militarily professional, but prevent lice as well. As for the ladies, I don't have an answer and won't try to speculate why.
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SPC Generator Mechanic
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I say shoulder length mandatory.
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SFC Logistics Management Specialist
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There are two reasons why United States Army Soldiers receive q-ball haircuts at Reception upon reporting for Basic Combat Training. The first and main reason is hygiene. The other is uniformity in the process of the Initial Entry Training Soldier's transformation from civilian to United States Army Soldier.

This requirement is a norm in all branches of military service. Part of being a Soldier is presenting a neat uniformed military appearance. While equality is important the anatomy and physical make up of a man is different than a woman. While some females have more of an X-cromazone than other woman scientifically these are rare instances. In the Master Fitness course you learn basic things like how much easier it is for woman to have hip and pelvis problems.

This said Soldier's should be treated equally while understanding that no one person is built the same. We have endomorphic, endomorphic, mesomorphic and other body types where such an example of why having the same hair grooming standards accross the board is mute.

We no longer break Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airman or Coastguardsman down and build them back up. We take the pisative and negative from our new brother's and sister's building upon such while teaching, coaching, and mentoring them into technicaly and tactically proficient service members with the tools to be successful in anything they do.

It is not about taking their identity away or being a dictatorship in that Soldiers can still be individuals. We just empower them to be better than what they were and push them harder than they have ever been pushed before. Everyone has a breaking point while it is not to see how hard core they can be in that it is to make them proud of having chose a lifestyle which is a profession where it is no longer about the individual, but the team and that in what is greater than all of us in that we fight for our fellow Soldier's.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the United States Army hair groin standards so long as a Soldiers hair does not appear unkept, impeding the proper wear of their headgear, or look fadish while ensuring we continue to adhere and abide by TRADOC 350-6 while in unitial entry training status and AR 670-1thereafter.
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Lt Col Aerospace Planner
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My understanding is that it was origionally done in early 1900's for sanitary reasons. Head lice was more prevalent back then. Now it is a hold over. Probably just makes in processing more expedient.
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SSG Water Treatment Nco
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SHAVE YOUR FREAKING MUG!!!!!!! If you are a recruit or a boot or whatever you are when in boot camp!
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SFC Bridge Nco Observer   Controller/Trainer (Oc/T)
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Shaved for male and at least a long fade for females. This would help with not only the hygiene aspect but the transition part from civilian to warrior mode.
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SSG Jason Cherry
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Someone else on here already said it, but I will say it again. If the Soldier is paying for the haircut, they should be able to get it cut however they want so long as it is within regulation.

However, in BCT I think that shaving men's heads is more efficient in both time and money. Less haircuts, requiring less time to do, less often. Saves the Army time, and saves the soldier money.

That having been said, I think females should have a set of styles to choose from that would accomplish the same. Something that is well within regulations that will be easy to maintain and wont require trips to the salon as often.

The whole point is to strip the individuality and make everyone face the same hardships together and form a bond, so everyone should have to sacrifice a little something to achieve that end...equally.
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