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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The Naval Academy cuts female plebes' hair to should length. Could implement something like that for BCT to be more along the lines of equality.
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Suspended Profile
The military requires haircuts so everybody is equal, in boot camp, you're all worthless pieces of nothing. Females don't get it because they have longer hair, and it would just look weird.
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Cutting off your hair helps contribute to your loss of identity
Then they can rebuild you once your broken down
They can make a killer out of anyone been doing it for thousands of years
Then they can rebuild you once your broken down
They can make a killer out of anyone been doing it for thousands of years
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I havnt Read all the comments on here but simple point of is that all men get their head shave so all of them conform to one hair style and all women have to get the same exact cut, maybe a couple depending on hair texture like a short bob that is easy to maintain. This would equalize somewhat the stigma of women and men getting different treatment. I’ll Be honest i dont Know what the current rules are for women and hair are for basic training right now are
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The biggest reason, is hygene... what if the recruit shows up with lice? Shaving the head solves this problem, period...
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I never did understand why we have to shave our heads and not females, they say it's for hygiene reasons, if that's the case , the females aren't in compliance with this hygiene rule , I dont really care myself, I shave my head still regardless.
Just saying i dont see the big deal, but that's just me though.
Just saying i dont see the big deal, but that's just me though.
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Cutting hair is a very old habit in militaries the world over. I actually researched this and found it went back as far as the Romans and likely further. It was done to prevent being caught by the hair and killed, short hair is harder to grab and hold on to, making it very hard to control a combatant in close combat. It continued for at least 2000 years, but wasn't a requirement. Modern military continued this tradition due to the effect of looking "smart" (not intelligence but appearance) and the impact long hair has on helmets. The reason hair it cut in boot however is for hygiene. No hair, no lice, less cleaning, more training.
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Good comment. At least initially, shaved heads promoted hygiene and took away individuality. It promoted team spirit with it's, "everybody looks alike appearance". However, then and now, the act of shaving male's only heads and not females, is absurd and should be addressed. Longer hair needs more care, is an argument, and female soldiers have the option to tuck and roll in order to keep it within regulations while in uniform. While on active duty, i always addressed the inequity of hair standards between the sexes. Female soldiers are normally honest enough to say that while in the field or deployed to an area where personal hygiene is problematic, long hair is a pain. Solution, no more tucking and rolling, keep your hair to standard without modifications.
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I joined the Navy in 1994. Everyone in Boot Camp had to get a hair cut, everyone. Women got a pretty ugly short hair cut whether they wanted it or not. There were no buns allowed. I knew I would have to get it cut so I did it before I arrived and they still made me pay for their cut! Granted, it wasn't shaved like the males, but even they agreed that we looked worse! It made things easy, though. I think females should have to get a short hair cut in BCT. If they want long hair it will grow back.
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You really want to know why there are hair standards for men... c’mon.... figure it out. Ever see a combat head wound? They bleed, they f’n bleed a lot. As a medic I don’t have time to be searching through your matted, blood soak hair to find a wound. Ever try to dress and bandage a head wound with blood soaked hair??? It F’n slips off!!!! So, typically women are not in combat, thus they can have long, beautiful locks of hair. I guess it’s something you don’t learn playing Call of Duty.
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Yeah agreed it’s a time thing. You don’t need to be fancy while in basic not enough time. I had it done and I didn’t care. It only takes like 1-2 months to grow it out to a normal look once your out.
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I have no problem with males having their hair shaved off. I went into the Army in 85' and that was when hair was still long for men. I had should length hair. I was ready to get it shaved, no big deal! I kept it high and right until I got out and grew my hair back out but then got it cut high and tight. When I started working at a prison, I started out high and tight but changed to shaved head again! The point is it's all right to have your head shaved. It gives the group a sense of belonging! I don't believe it qualifies as hazing!
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Males it was to take away individuality for the breakdown of the males. This was done to facilitate the build up of them. Lice was the issue initially. Females should have their head shaved also. Equal pay, equal rights, equal treatment.
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the shaving of the head is to show everyone they are the same and part of the rebirth into something better. their also medical reason aka get rid of lice issue and such.
as to why females dont have to shave their heads, i doubt many women would view that as a deal breaker and refuse to enlist.
as to why females dont have to shave their heads, i doubt many women would view that as a deal breaker and refuse to enlist.
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It's all about uniformity for the men and the women are cut in unity for there first cut
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I'll bite the bullet and say it out right. Women should have to do it just like the men. Call me a ass but it is what it is. They want and expect/demand equal treatment/duties/responsibilities until it comes to something they don't want. Once out of basic...cool. Basic...break em down ND build them up just like a man. I'll bend on number of push ups or pull ups to pass pt standards but every other aspect...nope.
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Head shaving in boot camp serves several purposes. From a personal hygene view a shaved head is simple and fast to keep clean. With the standard 15 sec. shower, the head area can be properly cleaned. From a training schedual view, shaving reduces the barber time per recruit. From a transition from civilan to military view, the removal of a persons hair plays a significant role in removing a persons personal idenity, it is part of the change of mindset toward the 'military is a team' outlook. In essence it removes one of the strongest elements of personal idenity, which removes a large section of the personal outlook, to support planned team building events later in the program.
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