Posted on Mar 25, 2015
To Shave or Not to Shave? That is the question.
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In modern times, many police and military forces prohibit beards for one important reason that came up during World War I. In order to get a clean seal on a gas mask, you must have a clean face, so soldiers made sure to shave. They may or may not have been worried about the pulling of beards during hand-to-hand combat, as Alexander the Great was.
Excluding limited exemptions for religious accommodation, the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps have policies that prohibit beards on the basis of hygiene, the necessity of a good seal for chemical weapon protective masks, and the official position that uniform personal appearance and grooming contribute to discipline and a sense of camaraderie.
All branches of the U.S. Military currently prohibit beards for a vast majority of recruits, although some mustaches are still allowed, based on policies that were initiated during the period of World War I.
So, the discussion is, Should military branches change the policy on shaving due to a legacy concern of chemical/biological warfare from WWI?
IMO, Proper grooming standards should be considered. If a service member wants to grow facial hair while not in a deployed location where the threat of a chemical/biological attack could occur (this is hardly in any theater of operations anymore due to many regulations implemented internationally to destroy & manage chemical/biological weapons), they should be allowed to, but in consideration of grooming standards (i.e. length of facial hair, must represent professional appearance, etc.)
Photo: U.S. Army Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan, 2010
Excluding limited exemptions for religious accommodation, the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps have policies that prohibit beards on the basis of hygiene, the necessity of a good seal for chemical weapon protective masks, and the official position that uniform personal appearance and grooming contribute to discipline and a sense of camaraderie.
All branches of the U.S. Military currently prohibit beards for a vast majority of recruits, although some mustaches are still allowed, based on policies that were initiated during the period of World War I.
So, the discussion is, Should military branches change the policy on shaving due to a legacy concern of chemical/biological warfare from WWI?
IMO, Proper grooming standards should be considered. If a service member wants to grow facial hair while not in a deployed location where the threat of a chemical/biological attack could occur (this is hardly in any theater of operations anymore due to many regulations implemented internationally to destroy & manage chemical/biological weapons), they should be allowed to, but in consideration of grooming standards (i.e. length of facial hair, must represent professional appearance, etc.)
Photo: U.S. Army Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan, 2010
USA
US Marine Corps (USMC)
Shaving
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 135
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In a life or death situation that requires proper sealing of a gas mask, one needs to be clean shaven. Shaving profiles and cultural or religious reasons for maintaining a beard go out the window unless that person would rather to die than shave his beard.
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It has been proven that with the liberal application of vaseline to the beard a seal is easily achivalable in the 10 sec a lot for donning of the gas mask
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Capt (Join to see)
I think even with the growth of a beard, stateside you wouldn't need to be concerned with a homeland attack. Inevitably we have a level of intelligence that would give us indicators that would provide ample time to shave if something like a homeland attack were to occur that involved chemical weapons.
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Let's please change it... I'm tired of shaving everyday. People who worry about the gas masks I understand, but if you read the article instead of just proceeding to cry then you would of read that it mentioned only allowing this on non deployment places like anywhere conus. No one on my base has a gas mask at their side to put on. You could easily shave before they finally distributed gas masks out to anybody. The gas mask is no longer an argument if you come up with so something better let me know.
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Let us grow facial hair while not on deployment as long as it looks clean there shouldn't be a problem with it
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I think men should definitely be able to grow their facial hair out. Maybe, in a tactical environment, the shaving standard should be maintained, but when our Soldiers are home, why not let them grow it out?? Obviously, maintain and keep it professional, but it's not like we carry around gas masks on base...if something chemically-natured happened here on Fort Riley, we'd all be dead anyway..whether men had facial hair or not, you're not gonna get a seal on your mask because you don't even have the damn thing with you... also, i would love to see females get to wear their hair in a pony tail in uniform as well. Yes, it is authorized while conducting PT, but i think it would look great in uniform as well, as long as their head gear was still within the standards and fit properly..
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I spent a year in Afghanistan working in a NATO unit with multiple nations military. All most all of them were allowed to grow beards. Some had restrictions and some didn't. They looked more military than we did and they were professionals as well. I live in the mountains in Colorado and when I am on leave and grow a beard I am perceived as more "legit" when I talk about mountain sports (fishing,hunting,hiking,rock climbing etc...). It's kinda like that "Truck Guy" commercial on TV. I say we put beards back on our military!
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I say change it but as far as the uniform goes everyone should be in a complete uniform. I say we should allow beards but only if well kept and groomed maintaining a professional appearance.
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Stateside i feel its ok for religious reasons, but in a deployed environment it should be clean shaven.
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Capt (Join to see)
Even without the religious reason I still feel as if it should be something to consider if it was regulated with proper guidance.
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I would trade my ability to reproduce for a chance to grow back my magnificent beard. Nothing says manly like long beautiful flowing locks growing out of my jaw line.
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