Posted on Apr 12, 2014
Shaved heads in basic training; is this mandatory? If it is, then why and why only for males?
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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/
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/
Basic Training
Grooming Standards
Equality
Drill Sergeant
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 458
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Haircut are for hygiene reasons and uniformality. I think it would be great if women were required to shave their heads. Also need to have same PT requirements without reducing the requirements for men just to make it equal.
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So I am back and forth personally with shaving heads in basic training. I think it is part of the beginning of the Military career and it will grow back so get over it. However, I am also all for relaxing grooming standards to allow beards and less restricted length standards (maybe that is my Warrant Talking.) I loved being around NATO where beards and long hair are just what they are. They also have coed bathrooms and nude sun bathing is not looked at as weird. So quite far from the conversation but I think it relays where I am coming from. As far as females shaving their heads I think that is ridiculous. What would truly be the point. I think this "equality" way of thinking is getting out of hand male and females have a lot of differences and similarities.
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SPC (Join to see)
SFC (Join to see) because women like having long hair and not many will find having their heads shaved acceptable.
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SPC (Join to see)
SFC (Verify To See) with respect I have been a production recruiter for the national guard since 2017 and based on my experience, the 17% of people I have recruited (females) I cannot see joining if shaved heads was mandatory for females as well. Besides they'd look kinda funny at their ait graduation pictures. This would make my job to recruit harder without a doubt.
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When I went through basic there was a female who wanted to shave her head and the drill sergeants wouldn't allow her. I think females having hair made it easier for them to be quickly identified by the drill sergeants. Easier for them to prevent shenanigans if they could quickly identify that it is a male and a female going off as a battle buddy pair.
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Women Marine recruits heads are shaved in the Philippines. They found that there was a good bonding amongst troops because they were on the same level. There is also a level of comfort not having a load of hair to deal with.
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When I went through boot there was a girl in my sister division that had hear head shaved. But, she did show up with baby blue hair.
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I chopped my hair off within regulations before shipping to basic to make it easier to manage. I wouldn’t be too jelly about girls getting to keep their hair, because trust me when I say, it’s not worth it. I saw girls with moldy hair because they didn’t have time to ever properly dry it, wasting precious time to put it in a eat and tidy bun, having to wash it constantly, cleaning hair from the drains Of the showers... long hair in basic is not a luxury... it’s a nightmare.
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SSG Robert Burns: Staff Sergeant Burns: we females also got our hair shaved off in Basic Training. Or, at least we got our hair cut very short. -Most Sincerely, Margaret C. Higgins U.S. Army Retired
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SGT Wanda Shepherd
A familiar name:). Women weren't allowed to cut their hair extremely short when I joined. Funny to me how many men are worried about women's hair.
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CPT William Jones
SGT Wanda Shepherd - I don't think it is women's hair per say, It is having two different sets of rules. Some of the guys might want to be able to grow linger hair. I have worn mine short for over 70 years. I do agree that there should be one reg for all.having two sets of rules is sexist and discriminatory. Some things need to be different due to differences between males and females but hair isn't one of them.. Could make pt testing different based on MOS but all need to make the appropriate score.
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SGT Wanda Shepherd
CPT William Jones thanks for your answer. By some of the comments, if men knew their hair would be buzzed off, why complain now. It's only hair and it will grow back. Whatever they decide it won't affect me so I'm not going to say now if women should have the same buzz cut.
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reasons for cutting all the hair off male recruits is for sanitation and for uniformity. Take away their individuality when they all look the same.
I think all woman recruits should have their hair cut to hang no more then two inches below their ear
I think all woman recruits should have their hair cut to hang no more then two inches below their ear
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More Obama administration political correctness out of control. Unintended consequences never ending. What if the male happens to identify as female that day? What if he doesn't feel comfortable unless he bunks with women and showers with them? The limits to all types of perversion are tossed out the window. This is not about liberty but about undermining the foundations of our culture.
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In the Marine Corps, Everyone gets their heads shaved to put them all on the same level.
Everyone starting out in the military should be put on the same level. No one is better
then anyone else. You all are the same. You will all be brought from the ground up.
You will all be brought up from civilian life to military. That's how we become brothers and
sisters of blood and fire.
Everyone starting out in the military should be put on the same level. No one is better
then anyone else. You all are the same. You will all be brought from the ground up.
You will all be brought up from civilian life to military. That's how we become brothers and
sisters of blood and fire.
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LCpl Douglas Landrith Jr
I agree except for the female Marines bruh. I really don't care if the girls keep their hair. Now if they ever integrate the males and females maybe make them get a short hair cut but I don't think they need a shaved head.
Semper, bruh
Semper, bruh
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CPT William Jones
Every one in the military should have their hair cut to the same parameters as defined in the appropriate reg for branch of service from basic to dd214 day
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I think shaving heads is the quickest and easiest way to get everyone's hair within regs
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TSgt (Join to see)
That may be true, but AFI 36-2903 specifically lists shaved heads as being authorized for males.
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when I was in navy in 85 female haircut within regs was required. males got shaved.
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On more than a few occasions when I have shaved my head I was told I look like a Buddhist monk.
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I got reprimanded because one of my Sgt majors thought my hair was to short. I think if it can stay neat and out of the way it shouldn't matter but the regs give male marines 0 to 3
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