The Marine Corps allows medically required beards and diverse hairstyles for women, and has relaxed its rules around tattoos.
The hair color must complement the person's complexion tone. Color changes that detract from a professional image are prohibited. Facial/Chest Hair. The face will be clean-shaven, except that a mustache may be worn.
Do Marines have to be clean-shaven? The face of a Marine must be clean-shaven. The exception to this rule is that a mustache may be worn. The mustache may not extend past the corners of the mouth and its length may not exceed 1/2 inch.
Beards are allowed in the Air Force only with a religious or medical waiver. Some African American service members said that obtaining a shaving profile harmed their careers.
Growing a beard in the military
Beards were prohibited across all branches for two reasons: Hygiene and the need for a good seal while wearing a gas mask.
The Navy announced a new policy in March stating that sailors diagnosed with PFB would not be kicked for not shaving, and would be allowed to edge and outline their beards instead of being forced to grow them out.
The only men lucky enough to be allowed beards now are special operations units such as Army Special Forces and Navy SEALs (as long as they are in Afghanistan at least).
Do Navy SEALs get to have beards? Beards and sideburns are banned in all military and police forces since the early 20th century. A clean-shaved face is considered part of a spirit of order, hygiene and discipline.
The ban was introduced in 1985, meaning that out of our 247-year naval history, during only 37 years have beards been disallowed. Further, as mentioned before, nearly every other naval service on earth allows beards. One would not say the Royal Navy is unprofessional due to their allowance of beards.
Religious beards must be shorter than two inches, or soldiers must roll or tie them to under two inches to comply with regulations. Soldiers with religious accommodations can grow their mustaches to connect with their beards, but they must trim or groom mustaches to keep them above upper lip lines.
Here are the key takeaways for the Marine Corps tattoo policy: You CAN have tattoos anywhere on your chest, back, torso, upper arms, upper thighs, and groin. There are no restrictions as to the size, shape, colors, or number of tattoos. There ARE restrictions on tattoos that are visible outside of a PT uniform.
Operators have special grooming standards, separate from the rest of the military. They're allowed to have beards and long hair if they choose to when other service members may not.
The official explanation for this practice was field sanitation, to help reduce the risk of spreading hair and/or body lice. In addition to personal hygiene benefits, the military buzz cut has had the following effects: Standardization of military look for troops. Adherence to regulations.
Mustaches are authorized but shall be kept neatly and closely trimmed. No portion of the mustache shall extend below the lip line of the upper lip.
So far, the Air Force has banned beards for all except those who have five-year medical waivers for pseudofolliculitis barbae, or chronic razor bumps, or religious waivers for those for whom beards are central to their observance, like Sikhs, Jews, Muslims and Norse Heathens.
On the legitimacy of the 8-minute nap, he says “sleeping with your legs elevated can help improve sleep onset and quality as it allows blood to flow more easily throughout the body. This is the sleep science behind the 8-minute Navy Seal nap, but that's not the only thing that makes this nap potentially effective.”
Can FBI Agents Have Beards? General FBI grooming and hygiene standards are codified, unless otherwise as specified for a duty or position, post-training, as: Clean shaven through training, clean mustaches permitted afterwards. Jewelry and piercings must be small, simple, and not pose a safety risk.
For decades, U.S. military leaders have prohibited service members from growing beards, arguing that facial hair not only disrupts a clean, professional appearance, but also interferes with the seal of a gas mask, oxygen mask or other devices that service members wear to survive hazardous environments.
Current military policies require all male members to maintain a clean shave whenever in uniform, unless waivered.
Since the civil war, male personnel had to get very close haircuts upon induction. Hence, these cuts were also known as induction cuts. At the time, the official reason was cleanliness. The buzz cut military helps reduce the risk of spreading lice (hair and body) for field sanitation.
The induction haircut has both practical and psychological purposes. Originally, one of the reasons for the induction haircut was to reduce the chances of disease among closely quartered recruits from different geographical areas (with varying immunities), such as head lice.
Why Do Veterans Grow a Beard? Simply put, because they can! So many regulations while serving prevented you from doing so. No Handlebar mustaches, no long sideburns, and especially, no hair on your chin.
There is no Marine Corps rule that dictates how often you have to get your hair cut. You cut your hair as often as you need to in order to stay within the regulations.
The Corps' fighting load varies between 43 to 62 pounds depending on the level of body armor a Marine wears. Military body armor protection ranges from level II to IV.
Physical Fitness Test
Crunches and planks are critical to maintaining a strong core and being battle-ready at a moment's notice. Males must complete the three-mile run in 28 minutes or less. Females must complete the three-mile run in 31 minutes or less.