US Army allows turbans, beards, hijabs for servicemen - The Economic Times

I agree with SN Greg Wright. It is an extremely slippery slope. If we keep accommodating every Tom, Dick, Harry, Jane, and Betty our military forces will only be good for dog and pony shows.

LCDR Thomas Doherty (USNR-R Ret) - Yes you do really need your cyberwarrior, cryptolinguist, or fire control technician to look like a Marine rifleman. I don't need my riflemen walking around thinking "whose that SOB think he is and why is he so damn special." I need my rifleman thinking that if "Charlie" is in the wire; the fellow Marines, who happen to be cyberwarriors, cryptolinguists, or fire control technicians can do their duty as riflemen.

There is a huge mental difference between "I am a Marine who happens to be a crypto linguist" and "I am a cryptolinguist who happens to be a Marine." If you don't think so go to TBS and watch the 2ndLts on aviation guarantees. About half of them think every thing at Quantico is stupid. They go through TBS with their feet in Quantico and their heads in Pensacola. As a result, I spent too much time running my platoon through the woods because a medium lift TBS classmate couldn't be bothered with LandNav enough to put us in the right LZ.

First, you are attempting to analogize with two different things. The mentality of Marine aviator candidates who are shaved doesn't have anything to do with the issue of beards. Your Marine aviator candidates were all clean-shaven and high-and-tight, right? Some MOSs and specialties will always be "special," shaving got's nothing to do with it.

Second, there are already different grooming standards among and within the services, and certainly between the sexes. As I said, I had a beard in the Navy in 1985. Did that affect the Marines in any way? Does long hair on females or on male doctors in the Air Force affect the morale of reasonable men?

Third, if "Charlie" was at the wire, I would rather have these guys with me than anyone clean-shaven.

PO3 Bob McCord - make it your religion and you can! LOL these regs have been in place for a long time - they are completely up to the Commanding Officer and have to keep good order and discipline. But I really enjoy watching them try to don a gas mask when they are wearing that crap! Natural Selection... ain't it great?

Sgt Kelli Mays Maybe he did answer and I just didn't see it or don't remember seeing it or answering. It's not in this comment chain though.

Yes, the military has made many changes to both rules and regulations. None of those would have happened if people who say things about just following regulations and not questioning them or challenging them had their way. How do you think you and I got to be allowed into the military? Do you think one day a General just came in to the office and told his assistant to have the G1 and legal get together and draft up a regulation allowing women into the military?

No, it changed because people questioned the regulation..questioned the why.

I am in no way condoning not following the regulations. THAT we did all agree to do. And I think there is definitely a place in the military for mindless drones that literally just follow orders.

But, as I have said somewhere else on Rallypoint, when the military asks for college educated Soldiers, what the military gets is thinking Soldiers….and thinking Soldiers ask questions.

Sgt Kelli Mays - Thank you for including me in your discussion. Regarding your comment that you tagged me in, you are correct. The military is the military and uniformity should be maintained. Like you may have noticed in my comment thread, I have zero issue with this being authorized, but I am of the belief that if it is authorized, then it should be across the board and not on a case by case basis.

You are correct in your statement that the military is not here to cater to us. We are here to bend to the will of the military. I am proud of my military service and have zero issue with grooming standards being enforced. My primary concern regarding this issue is whether or not we are intentionally being lied to. Are we risking the lives of service members who can't don the gas mask because of facial hair?

If we need a clean shave to get a proper seal on our gas masks, then so be it. Enforce the grooming standard. But if that's a lie, then modify the grooming standard so that we don't have to deal with these exceptions any longer. Authorize the beard much in the same manner as the moustache. It's either within regs or not. If it's out of regs, then go correct it.

Well said

Wait till one of those things get sucked into a jets intake taking it's wearer with it Not happen yet but it will. Proper fitting gas mask. There options for folks that don't want to conform to military standards. Try Peace Corps........

Very similar to the issues regarding beards on submarines. We often have to wear various tight fitting masks dependent on attacks and casualties.

IBeards could be held down to a max of 1/16 of an inch

Exactly that's the same thought I had

Remember it's a religious thing and maybe the beards must be a certain lenght.