The ban on beards in the military is outdated and has no effect on a service member’s ability to preform their job. A common reason given is that the gas masks won’t fit appropriately but they are used so infrequently that this is not a good reason for the majority of military a majority of the time. Also beards could just be shaved on an as needed basis instead of all the time. Additionally other countries such as Canada, Germany, Norway and Great Britain all allow beards for their service members. Allowing service members to wear beards would increase morale and retention.
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I would like to hear from the bearded service members.
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Down range beards are often and frequently allowed. There are many hygienic reasons beards and facial hair or HAIR in general has regulations behind how you are required to maintain certain grooming standards. Our military has bigger issues to address with readiness training, healthcare and recruitment to worry about beards.
Lets look at training budgets that have been axed in order of hiring DEI consultants. This directly impacts the ability of people to do their jobs effectively. Surviving a combat situation, a stressful flight mission, or evasive maneuvers at sea will improve moral when they get to go home to their families and loved ones.
Let’s look at recruiting requirements based on a single metric system qualifying individuals best suited for the job due to qualifications and merit vs skin color, sexual orientation or gender.
Let’s consider reinstating the thousands of highly trained qualified men and women who lost their positions and benefits for refusing to allow their bodies to be used in a potentially lethal drug trial during the COVID mandated vaccinations. Not to mention the service members who complied and now have life threatening conditions that no longer enable them to do their job or care for their families.
Let’s look at the VA who routinely puts our countries hero’s on waitlists for care and often these men and women die before healthcare is approved some to suicide many because of medical neglect by the country they served.
Let’s talk about changing how we treat those service members asked to experience trauma after trauma in combat situations then abandon them to narcotics and depression because the VA has no qualified effective mental health care services to offer.
We need to work on how this country demands a lot from our VOLUNTEER services and how we as a country choose to disregard the sacrifice they make with limbs, mental health and their lives but facial hair and grooming standards is not real high on the priority list. Once we get real problems and policies solved I’m all in on the discussion.
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What about if they need to wear sealed mask like a pilot or a firefighter? This is a bad idea
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It may boost their morale. But what are they gonna do if they are in a gas attack?
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As a veteran who served 6 years Navy, I would disagree with banning beards. While i have one now, I am not in a potential combat situation as I was on board ship. It could be a life or death situation, who knows when you will be under attack , thinking of the USS Cole, time may not be available for a shave before donning the mask.
I’m leaving the military, but just look at JD Vance with and without a beard. It makes a huge difference. Those beards will make America look strong again 
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But yeah if they allowed beards I’d reconsider leaving.
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