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Beards were allowed for ALL Sailors until 1981 when CNO Adm. Hayward banned beards for anyone under E4. In 1984, CNO Adm. Watkins banned beards under the impression that Sailors would not be able to get a proper gas mask seal. However, Secretary John Lehman said that it was simply due to aesthetics. Lehman said that master chiefs complained that beards made the Navy look un-uniform.
Posted in these groups: 
Sailors
Grooming Standards
Sailors Grooming Standards
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 23
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PO2 David Allender
in any service where the enlisted is on a fire team and has to wear face mask, the beard will not let the mask fit properly, therefore any fumes or smoke in the environment that you are in will get to you if you are wearing a beard. If you are not on an team where you wear a mask, then there should be no problem. I do not know if while in Boot Camp they subjected you to traing with a mask and without a mask in tear gas environment. If they are, then think about what it was like and go from there.
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CWO3 Kevin O'Brien
PO2 David Allender - That is absolutely false. That was one excuse they used. As a primary fire party nozzleman I had a beard, within standards, and my OBA mask fit just fine with no leaks. Ask an experiences nozzleman, not someone who heard something.
-CWO Kevin O'Brien (7181)
-CWO Kevin O'Brien (7181)
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CPO Barry Sloan
I wore mutton chops aboard USS Welch (PG-93). Granted they were not as unruly as the gent shown. I had no trouble with gas masks or oba's
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CPO John Hopkins
When I was in, the privilege of maintaining a beard depended upon billet and designator. Recruiters were not allowed beards, neither were Pilots/NFO's who were in tactical aircraft (F-4, F-14, A-6, A-7, F/A-18)
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No, one of the main reasons they stopped this was not listed. The Navy had discovered that beards were causing problems with Damage control, as in problems with seals on mask and they found the same issues with Gas mask you can not get a proper seal on the mask. I am a ground Disaster recovery Navy CBR guy and will tell you that having over grown facial hair will cause a improper seal in mask and can cause death. This is what happens when people want to look at the past and go back to the way, we use to do it, with out getting the hole site picture and understanding why they changed rules.
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ENS (Join to see)
Chief, that was listed in the description under the picture of the Warrant Officer..
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Col Jim Harmon
LOL!! They had birds in their beards? Those must have been some really manly beards. Just kidding.
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PO1 Kevin Arnold
I agree with this response. Some had no shave chits/waivers because they would break out when they shaved. However, they had to have a very well groomed and close beard. It was nothing like they had only 2 years before I came into the Navy, but I almost experienced why they made the change. When deployed for long periods of time with no inspections or anyone from outside the ship coming onboard we were allowed to have beards and make a contest of it. It was fun and well I did not even come close to winning; however, we had a drill during that time and noticed that I could not get a seal on my EAB or OBA to save my life.
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