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Should female soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen, that go into Infantry, Armor, Artillery, SOF/SOCOM, Raiders/MARSOC, SEALS, SWCCC, PJs, CCTs, and other combat arms MOS's and units be required to cut their hair short? Hair length is an operational issue for males, and thus it should be for females. Right?
There are females with the athleticism and intestinal fortitude for these units and roles. But, long hair poses the same issues for females that it does males. And the only reason that females are allowed to maintain long hair, it appears, is the traditional female beauty mystique, which requires or allows for, long female hair. But being in the military, on equal terms with males, blows up that traditional beauty code. Or does it? Can women, and men, for that matter, not look good in short, even really short, hair?
If a female wants to be Infantry or Ranger or SF, and is committed to that goal, is cutting one's hair tactically short asking too much?
There are females with the athleticism and intestinal fortitude for these units and roles. But, long hair poses the same issues for females that it does males. And the only reason that females are allowed to maintain long hair, it appears, is the traditional female beauty mystique, which requires or allows for, long female hair. But being in the military, on equal terms with males, blows up that traditional beauty code. Or does it? Can women, and men, for that matter, not look good in short, even really short, hair?
If a female wants to be Infantry or Ranger or SF, and is committed to that goal, is cutting one's hair tactically short asking too much?
Posted in these groups: 
Soldiers
Soldiers
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 11
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Hair length is an operational issue for SF males??? This is the same group that embodies the stereotype of long haired frat boys? The same group who receive orders for relaxed grooming standards?
Should these females also grow beards?
Should they be allowed to run around topless like the guys? We want to be fair, correct?
Women already cut their hair off for Ranger School and they cut more off than any man. There are no operational restrictions that come with longer hair. No SOF are clearing rooms with hand to hand combat and the example of Artillery and Armor is just ridiculous. A female's hair isn't getting caught in the machinery and killing anyone.
What you really mean is "I had to cut my hair and it's not fair".
Well, I had to cut my hair in the 90s as Ranger Regiment, but if you look at any SOF today they have longer hair than most females in the Army. So, I think that no, it doesn't make sense to pretend boys and girls are the same.
Should these females also grow beards?
Should they be allowed to run around topless like the guys? We want to be fair, correct?
Women already cut their hair off for Ranger School and they cut more off than any man. There are no operational restrictions that come with longer hair. No SOF are clearing rooms with hand to hand combat and the example of Artillery and Armor is just ridiculous. A female's hair isn't getting caught in the machinery and killing anyone.
What you really mean is "I had to cut my hair and it's not fair".
Well, I had to cut my hair in the 90s as Ranger Regiment, but if you look at any SOF today they have longer hair than most females in the Army. So, I think that no, it doesn't make sense to pretend boys and girls are the same.
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
Some females could grow a beard...not many but I've seen some females on a rare occurrence with a mustache...
I don't see why we can't be topless in society in general - there are guys out there with bigger breasts than me.
I don't see why we can't be topless in society in general - there are guys out there with bigger breasts than me.
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SSG Jeff Forker
You make some good points. But SF only gets Relaxed Grooming Standards orders when they are headed to an AO and culture that requires it. When they return to CONUS they have to cut hair and shave beard.
I am former SF and the frat boy image changes from SFG to SFG, from team to team and battalion to battalion. That is not the ideal. SF soldiers are supposed to remember that they are still US Army soldiers. Op tempo can cause problems in that.
Tactical hair lengths, going back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, probably earlier, have always been short. So many reason, of which you know. It's not just CQB, its also hygiene, and it more of a factor in hot climates than cold. And SF guys even when they have beards do not grow their head out out like Jason Momoa. Long head hair poses problems in regards to head gear, comms gear, etc.
And in training, the SF Course, or whatever, short hair is the norm, for reasons cited. But, again, you made, above, some good points.
I am former SF and the frat boy image changes from SFG to SFG, from team to team and battalion to battalion. That is not the ideal. SF soldiers are supposed to remember that they are still US Army soldiers. Op tempo can cause problems in that.
Tactical hair lengths, going back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, probably earlier, have always been short. So many reason, of which you know. It's not just CQB, its also hygiene, and it more of a factor in hot climates than cold. And SF guys even when they have beards do not grow their head out out like Jason Momoa. Long head hair poses problems in regards to head gear, comms gear, etc.
And in training, the SF Course, or whatever, short hair is the norm, for reasons cited. But, again, you made, above, some good points.
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The flip side of that coin is that males in non-combat MOS's would then probably be bound by the hair regulations currently in place for females. In my opinion, the correct answer is one service, one standard. Since EVERYONE should be deployable, and personal hygiene tends to suffer in field environments, the current standard for males should be applied to everyone regardless of gender or MOS.
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Maj John Bell
COL Vincent Stoneking - Nobody rocked a mullet. They just didn't have a friend who was a good enough friend to say "What the hell did you do to your head?"
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I used to keep my hair short while I was in because it was easier to deal with. During NTC rotations and deployments I kept it a little shorter than normal because it was easier to clean that way.
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