Shaved heads in basic training; is this mandatory? If it is, then why and why only for males?

When I went through basic 1975, we had the option of getting a butch cut or short military standards, no shaving of the head was allowed a soldier did that on his own and hazed by the DS for days. As far as equal rights equality etc. etc. females get the same opinion as well and do away with female standards on the PT test as well,

Tradition? I suppose so. I would hope a "we're all in this together" attitude's in the mix too. When reading this post, I got a mental picture of D.I.'s waiting in the company street while the trainees run their blow dryers and apply hair gel so they'd look just right for morning PT. Seriously, I believe the other reason men go "whitewall" as we called it back in the day, and women don't has to do with their career path. Men are overwhelmingly in combat arms. Now, before the sisterhood falls on me like an old building, I know there are women who've completed jump school, officer infantry training, and Ranger school. Good for them and any others who try. But let's be honest, most are in support outfits. Unit cohesiveness is an important element everywhere, but especially combat arms, where lives are on the line every time you go outside the wire, (or the FOB as you younger soldiers call it). For what it's worth, I've been out 50 years and I still go high & tight. It's one less thing to deal with in the morning, and I'm too old to be making any fashion statements.

Honestly, none of military life, starting from boot camp, seemed real to me, it was “fake”. Shaving my head did absolutely nothing for me other than be a nuisance, so from my viewpoint, it’s all just tradition.

Shaved heads for the men and short to shaved for the women its not as much about making everyone equal as it is a training factor. More time training less time at the PX, BX, Snack bar. We got our Hair cut twice in BCT once on arrival and once a graduation. You were ready to ship on Graduation day, no fuss and muss. Now we have Soldiers wanting to grow Beards is that not unequal? Women can't grow Beards. The shaving of heads does Help with scalp problems as well, As For the females short or shaved the one thing I would say is if they go in with long hair cut it short or shaved donate it to locks of Love.

If you want equality then I can go to the dark side but I think most folks will realize that you can never have true Equality with men and women mixed in the Military. I think a lot of times we have a tendency to over think things that would be better off left alone. JMHO

Equal is as equal does, duh!

Ain't got time to be messing with hair in basic training. I barely had time to shit shower and shave, let alone messing with grooming hair too. Your being trained to kill people and blow stuff up while keeping your fellow soldiers alive and in the fight. You are being trained to act and carry yourself as a soldier. You're not there to have a fashion show. You'll have plenty of time to style your hair at permanent party or AIT or whatever it's called today. It is a volunteer Army, that's true. If you don't want your head shaved, don't volunteer. Next it will be, "Why do we have to wear the same clothes?" or "Why can't I have seventeen facial piercings in uniform?" Hair is a small issue and it being shaved is only during basic, a short period of time. It also helps for if someone arrives to basic training with a head full of lice or other vermin.

Out.

AHHHHH THE BASIC HAIR CUT!
HAVING JOINED THE ARMY RESERVES IN DEC 1963 , WITH THE DRAFT ON MY HEELS, EARLY MARCH 1964 I STARTED BASIC TRAINING AT FT LOUSY WOODS MO!
THOSE DAYS THE STANDARD BASIC TRAINING
CUT WAS BARE SIDES AND A LITTLE LEFT ON TOP, MAYBE 1/4" MAXIMUM!
PREVIOUSLY I WORE MY HAIR FAIRLY LONG!
AFTER GETTING THIS HAIRCUT I WANTED TO TAKE IT FARTHER! AT THIS TIME WE HAD A TV SHOW CALLED "KOJAK" , STARRING TELLY SAVALAS. IN THIS ROLE HE WAS COMPLETELY BALD, PLAYING THE ROLE OF A DETECTIVE/COP! WHILE WATCHING THE SHOWS I WONDERED HOW I WOULD LOOK TOTALLY BALD! AND NOW HERE I WAS IN THE RECEPTION AREA WITH A HAIRCUT VERY CLOSE TO THAT LOOK ANYWAY!
SO I GOT RAZOR AND SHAVING CREAM AND TOOK THE REST OFF! A FRIEND HELPED ME WITH A FEW SMALL PATCHES, AND THE JOB WAS DONE! I DID HAVE SOME REAL FUN WITH MY NEW LOOK HOWEVER!
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER A NEW(ER) RECRUIT SHOWED UP RECEPTION WHO WAS AN OBVIOUS BEATLES FAN AS HE WAS WEARING LONG HAIR AND CLOTHING IN THE BEATLES STYLE, 100%!!
BEING THAT I AM A REDNECK KS FARM BOY THAT CARED NOTHING FOR THE BEATLES I FED HIM MY STORY! I TOLD HIM THAT I TOO, CAME TO LOUSY WOODS WITH A BEATLES SUIT AND HAIRCUT! THEN THEY MADE ME STRIP NAKED IN FRONT OF EVERYONE,
DRY SHAVED MY HEAD, THEN I HAD TO BURN MY BEATLES CLOTHES WHILE EVERY ONE WATCHED! BEATLES BOY LOOKED LIKE HE CRAPPED HIS PANTS AND WAS ABOUT TO CRY!! A COUPLE OF MY FRIENDS BACKED MY STORY AS WELL!! I NEVER SAW HIM AGAIN AND WONDERED HOW HIS NEXT FEW DAYS WENT! RIGHT AFTER THAT I WENT TO OUR BASIC COMPANY, AND OUR PLATOON SGT
SAW MY HAIRCUT AND THOUGHT I WAS A RAH-RAH ROMPING STOMPING TROOPER TYPE! IT TOOK ME SEVERAL WEEKS TO PROVE OTHERWISE TO HIM! I WAS ONLY WANTING TO BURN DAYS TILL I GOT OUT!!

As a former Drill and I believe someone who makes decisions on based on reality & common sense, rather then if it’s going to hurt a few people’s feelings.
First, I’d bet money the MAIN reason they first decided to SHAVE Soldier’s heads upon entering the Military for training was Personal Hygiene reasons!
You have hundreds of guys coming from all walks of life about to live and train in close proximity of each other and hair can harbor Lice, Nits, Dandruff, plus infectious skin diseases from Oils and Dead Skin Cell’s if not washed regularly.
This is also another reason why we have Hair standards after entry, not JUST for uniformity. Which honestly the Regulation and Leaders discretion gives so much Lead way you have infantry Pvt’s walking around looking like they got a Boot Brush on top their head almost a Mohawk with hardly ZERO TAPER, then you got guys in PAC with bangs so long they literally must trim them right above their eyebrows so they can say “it’s with in Reg Sarge” but with Ldrs doing the same it doesn’t help MSG’s and WO’s looking like Porn Stars with excessive Side Burns and Pervy Mustaches, then the certain Senior NCO’s with Real or Hair extensions that are up in a BULKY Bun that they got to buy Headgear like 4 sizes bigger to extend out back over their EXCESSIVE Hair and then it still tilts down in the front because the hair is pushing it up in the back, and don’t get me started on those crazy hair Un-Natural hair Colors!
Finally, the other “simple” reason is time restraint, when you have time restraints and need to push hundreds of troops a to b you don’t have time for Perms, so you ALL get shaved.

So conclusion Shaving in basic is NOT HAZING and Hair Regulations in General are not just for uniformity, but for HYGIENE, after all you are in the MILITARY and “supposedly” a fighting force where EVERY Soldier regardless of SEX or MOS basic duty is that of a Rifleman and we all qualify on that piece of equipment on how to kill the enemy and should BE PREPARED to go to War by training on your weapon, your specific Duty, and taking care of YOURSELF Physically, staying in shape and yes Good Hygiene washing and cutting your damn hair, brushing your teeth, trimming your nails, SHOWERING, and even safe Sex practices.

I know I ramble that was long, but also my “Personal Opion” thrown in.
I believe Female Hair Regulation should only allow Collar Length, this still gives them some length as I know most female’s want to look more like a Fashion Model then a SOLDIER which is what they signed a Contract for. But limiting to Collar length would stop the excess hair put up when in Uniform. (Which ive seen Fall down BTW in Training and Combat Zone areas even and produces a visual and snagging hazard) Plus this cuts down on excessive Hair in Combat and Field environments where it’s harder to keep longer lengths clean even if kept up in uniform it would still be full of Oil, Dead Skin Cell’s etc.

There are a few things that stabdout on the subject.

1. Males are required to have their hair cut to shortest length by regulation. That is a noguard cut. Shaven heads is technically unauthorized due to health risks.
2. Female ranger candidates are required to cut hair to shortest by reg so why not IETs only fair right?

I say yes they do need to be shaved within reason, but maybe not as drastic as males. The separation needs to be established to maintain dignity and respect. Per AR 670-1, 3-2 explains what is acceptable and short length hair for females is no less the 1/4" to the scalp and no longer then 1". That should be the standard in basic for females.

Professional appearance in a service uniform should definitely be a requirement, hair included. Especially when representing their country in assignments around the world. It is unfortunate that a particular race had their heads shaved before being exterminated. Traditions may have been great in the past when established, but tend not to be as great with the continuous changes of our future. There are traditions that should be modified according to the present time. No gender should be forced to have their head shaved. A clean professional haircut should certainly be required.

Looks like a high number of men have voted. Get a clue women thats how they feel about you being there. Im not saying leave but i am saying be prepared

There isn't equality or equity. The army's working hard to bring equality with the gender neutral pt standards and such. But since day-0 females are taught that they are different than males. Quotas for leadership and lower standards/expectations to name two. In voluntary courses such as Ranger School, women are required to shave their heads. I'm not going to get into the debate about how women fare/are treated in such courses, but at the very least they are held to the same 670-1 standard there. I personally feel as others have pointed out that the shaving of the head on day-0 provides a very necessary psychological shock to the individual. All individuality is removed from the person. Uniformity is the standard. devotion to the unit, not to the self is the expectation. These mentalities can be seen from men who graduate from courses such as 11 series OSUT. It's something I didn't notice in my female counterparts (and some males) during my time as a 25 series when i originally enlisted, and served as for the first 5 years of my service. I believe the head shaving is one small part of that difference.

The reason for the "buzz cut" is to begin the transition into a military mindset...I PERSONALLY see no harm with women being "shaved" like the guys...I have a niece who REQUESTED a buzz cut in Basic...she got it with a lot of strange looks...she swore it helped her mindset to be more focused. Now she is a Sergeant...all within 2 1/2 years. She now keeps a short version of the Julie Andrews's haircut from Sound of Music !!! Wash and go !!!!

There were 3 options for haircuts upon induction into the military; #1, #2, and #3. A haircut was mandatory, not a shaved head. None of the options were preferred but they did allow you to distinguish a shaved head from keeping hair on your head. All 3 were quick and simple and personally, I say a shaved head took longer than the others. The women were more to office personnel and kitchen during my tenure while the door was open for their entry during that time. I did see a female NCO and CO during field duty at permanent party and one of my CO's during basic was a female, all of them had a full head of hair.

Not real sure when shaving heads became something done. It was not done in the early seventies when I was a trainee ??????

I had always thought when I was in boot camp, in 1972, it was to lessen the possibility of anyone getting head lice. I still imagine that could be the case.

I responded that only males should have their heads shaved. WOmen should have their hair trimmed if necessary to meet military standards. This is based on cultural norms, both in society and in the military. A person should not be forced to totally give up their gender identity because they join the military. Women tend to wear their hair longer than men. It's a thing; has pretty much always been a thing. Uniform cuts are different, APFT standards are different, boot sizes are different, men and women are different. This is all OK, because after all, it's performance that counts.

Real sick of the "lets be equal in every aspect" crowd, because were not! Something to be said about traditions in the service and being bald along with everyone else is part of that.

The question itself highlight the utter hypocrisy intrinsic in the female infection of the military.