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 11 y ago
Responses: 458
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I also am a proponent of mustaches being a mandatory part of the NCO uniform, regardless of gender. False mustaches being exceptible for those un able to grow full mustache on there own. The warrant officers who came from the NCO Corp, should also be permitted at their own discressionry. All other ranks prohibited.
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When I was in basic at Lackland, I had them cut my hair short so I wouldn't have to do anything with it during training. Easy peasy!
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Personally, I think different uniform and grooming standards for men and women is sexist.
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I think that while getting your head shaved is not a requirement, I agree that it is a form or a visual statement of someone transitioning from civilian life to military life.
I had my head shaved when I went into basic 30 some odd years ago and I considered it a point of pride did I could visually show everyone my life and entered a new phase.
But now that the military is turning into a more equal footing for men and women I believe that this tradition should be modified somewhat.
Let's face it. Hair grows back. So I think when people enter the military that men and women should get their hair cut to a basic military cut. (I'm sure all of us have seen the movie GI Jane. she got her haircut for the movies and it didn't seem to detrimentally affect her)
so everybody lineup get their haircut when they go into basic and then from there on out they can choose to keep it shaved or at a military length.
I had my head shaved when I went into basic 30 some odd years ago and I considered it a point of pride did I could visually show everyone my life and entered a new phase.
But now that the military is turning into a more equal footing for men and women I believe that this tradition should be modified somewhat.
Let's face it. Hair grows back. So I think when people enter the military that men and women should get their hair cut to a basic military cut. (I'm sure all of us have seen the movie GI Jane. she got her haircut for the movies and it didn't seem to detrimentally affect her)
so everybody lineup get their haircut when they go into basic and then from there on out they can choose to keep it shaved or at a military length.
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I don't know about the Navy, I served my time in the army however, when I attended basic training the male recruits received abasic training bald and the females got the infamous "bowl" or budgie cut. If it works for the army it should work for the Navy... In my humble opinion
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Well it would appear you Missed two things first What does the Regulation Say? Second we do that because the Military hates men. The original reason was hair is full of Germs and can cause and infection fast. I think we have passed that now people take better care about washing now than they used to, and don't forget we hate men and want to punish them for enlisting. JMHO
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The standards are equal, until they are not. On one of my very last days of service I was walking out of the unit S-1 shop after getting a new CAC. Coming in the opposite direction was a female E-7 type (slick sleeve) with so much hair, her cover was not physically touching her head. And I swerved onto the grass next to the pavement to make sure I wouldn't come in contact with her way out of standards hair. With some mental math I determined that I had 12 days left to ETS, and I was thankful for that.
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There was a time when the shaving a man’s head was for hygiene reasons. If a man had head lice or ticks a close cutting of the hair exposed these and allowed them to be eliminated making that man more effective as a fighter. Generally that time has passed as hygiene standards for all have greatly improved. On a personal level, women should be required to wear their hair short either male standards or perhaps a one size fits all page boy cut. Women can learn in AIT how to pile all that hair up under a size 9 cover, it also goes back to uniformity and becoming part of something larger than yourself.
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The purpose of the head shaving is to make everyone equal and to look and dress alike. The idea is to get boots thinking and acting as a unit and not individuals. Not to mention the time it would take to get them a hair cut every few weeks to stay within the haircut standards.
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