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.