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

Hey in 1989-1990...in the army...that was your first sign that your not at home anymore and your first step in the army and your first step into a fraternity that will last you forever, in a bigger world

I agree, females want equal treatment then shave their heads too, but I think in todays world this 'tradition' of shaving heads is not really necessary. There are other ways to tear down the weak, sniveling civilian and build him or her back up again!

I feel the military is different from civilian life. We must keep that. Our unit all had the same haircut it was part of our uniform. It showed pride unity and it was part of who we were. Military life has changed much but something's must stay

In the Marine Corps I grew up in the hair cut the first day on Paris Island is taking every thing from you and building the recruit up. You earn everything in boot camp even the patch of hair the recruits in the final phase was earned. We couldn’t wait until third phase to grow our hair out even the little we were allowed to grow. I enjoyed earning everything even the most common things. It was part of the whole process to me.

I think the hair cuts in boot camp should follow regulations. I got out of the Navy in 1986 so no doubt things have changed. Male hair was high and tight, females were off the collar. They shaved the heads to bring recruits closer to the SAME. Their job was to tear you completely down to your very lowest point and then build you back up and train you to military standards. I could get on board with a females hair being cut from long hair to a length that is off the collar. Shaved heads also make the 7 min shower (I think it was 7 mins) possible. We would wash our hair with the same soap that we washed the rest of us. IDK, there is someone sitting in an office somewhere that makes a lot more money then I do, setting these rules but that's my opinion.

For starters, I will leave the gender issue alone because I don't want or like a woman to look like a man. So lets just focus on the men. The shaved head should be a requirement in basic training. Plenty of people will not like what I am about to say, but tradition is a major part of the military and should be maintained. That haircut is part of an introduction to the military and shows that the recruits has left his civilian life behind. From that moment forward his life has changed and he is being recreated into a soldier.

From a practical standpoint the young soldier may not realize it at the time, but the shaved head also benefits him as well! For two months you get the privilege of playing in the dirt, doing nothing but exercising, shooting, and all those things boys and young men love, or should love to do. The cost however, is limited sleep and limited time for things like say... hygiene. I don't know about you, but old men like myself still go out into the yard and play around in the dirt making things, planting gardens, tending to the livestock (unless you're a city boy in which case you probably just sit in a metrosexual salon getting a manicure) and all the things an average day brings with it. At the end of the day I personally hate the feeling of grime stuck between the follicles of what is left of my hair.

Speaking of that, having a shaved head in basic training is simply good practice as well! Eventually you will become like me and realize that while you have never retreated in battle... your hair has. Sure, you can pretend you still have hair for a time. But after a while you have to accept the reality that a massive amount of hair on the side of your head does not constitute hair on the top of your head, even if you do let it grow over your ears. So you find yourself once again with an army regulation hair cut... and then you find that just isn't worth the effort nor the cost of paying a barber the full price for only 1/4 of the work, so you drop 20 bucks on a pair of clippers and simply cut your hair yourself... basic training style.

So there you have it. The shaved head boot camp haircut for the military man really does represent the full circle of life.

Is this really an issue? I’m sorry to sound cold or dismissive but it’s part of the whole package. Get over it.

It is for hygiene purposes. You will see many people with fungus once they shave their heads. And in a couple weeks will go away

I think we, as an advanced society, can probably evolve with this issue. Let's get some funds and perform a psychological impact survey to find out how a military would behave with different hair cuts. Both Male and female.

Considering males still outnumber females and considering reception is a lengthy process, it's more efficient to line up the males and spend a minute or two on their hair vs catering to a style they want. In BCT you shouldn't get to choose, that's done for you as part of the breaking down and shaping process. It's about keeping everyone looking and training the same.