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The updated standard removes the constraints of dimension requirements. Other updates include removing offensive or racist wording from AR 670-1, and updating the images in the regulations with “specific examples for standards” to clearly show what is and is not allowed. Among the revisions that will be included in the new AR — last updated in 2017 — include changes that have already been announced such as the Army Green Service Uniform and the Expert Soldier Badge.
New AR 670-1 Changes & Updates for 2023
"It doesn't necessarily have to be a color that is typically seen on a certain ethnic group. It just has to be a natural hair color" that presents a neat and professional image. Moreover, in the latter half of the 19th century, all ranks of the British Army were encouraged to grow large moustaches and even full beards during winter. For a while regulations were introduced that forbade serving soldiers of all ranks from shaving above their top lip, in essence making moustaches compulsory for those who could grow them.
Army Beard and Mustache Regulations
U.S. Army hair regulations and grooming standards are comparable to other branches of the Armed Forces. If the headgear does not fit the intended shape or has excessive gaps, female soldiers will be expected to conform their haircut to acceptable standards immediately. Army soldiers are allowed to wear braids, cornrows, dreadlocks, and twists, yet the types of hairstyles are closely regulated by the military branch. The updated standard will also include a link to imagery and videos to provide Soldiers with specific examples of proper grooming and appearance standards, Sanders said. Current images are too vague, outdated, and leave too much room for interpretation without adequate guidance. According to the updated policy, extreme colors and nail shapes, such as a coffin, ballerina, and stiletto nails, are prohibited while in uniform or on duty in civilian clothes.
What about hair accessories for females?
The exception is when used to cover natural baldness or physical dis-figuration caused by a medical procedure or accident. Tightly maintained and regulated Army grooming standards have been put in place by the U.S. The new policy will also remove various words from the regulation that are offensive to some cultures, or have racist ties. In the facial hair section of the regulations, the word “Fu Manchu” will be removed, for example, as it “has been considered offensive to Asian Culture,” the slides say.
AR 670-1 Army Haircut Regulations
If the Soldier were to washout or graduate from training, their hair was often below the 1/4 inch minimum length requirement and outside Army regulations. Panel findings determined that females attending Ranger, Special Forces, or Sapper training were often encouraged to cut their hair to abide by health and hygiene recommendations while training in an austere environment, Sanders said. That sentiment was shared by author Benny Bough, who has studied the history of British military regulations. "British and Canadian traditions only allow pioneers to have beards," said David Hiorth, owner of Military Antiques Toronto, and noted expert of British and Canadian military traditions. "This is how the world is digressing by allowing this change. Hopefully, the pendulum will swing back the other way." Throughout the 20th century and to the modern day, infantry pioneer warrant officers, colour sergeants, and sergeants traditionally wear and were permitted to wear beards; although not compulsory, most do wear them.
Opinions Mixed On Welsh Guards Now Being Allowed To Sport Facial Hair
“This is not just about hair, it’s about acknowledgement of personal rights, it’s about checking bias," California State Sen. Holly Mitchell previously told USA TODAY. “Some male Soldiers in certain occupation specialties rely on their hands, which are under constant bombardment while working with tools or harsh chemicals,” Sanders said. “A male Soldier would take this opportunity to keep their nails protected." "I use the analogy, 'If you look good, you feel good -- and if you feel good, you perform [well]," Sanders said. "If I am in the Army long enough, it would be nice to see how these changes have improved productivity ... and make Soldiers perform better."
Earrings will remain unauthorized in field environments, combat-related deployments or locations where access to normal hygiene is not available. Soon, all soldiers will also be able to dye their hair any natural color, and female soldiers can wear lipstick and nail polish in approved colors. Bold colors such as purple, blue, pink, green, orange, bright red and neon colors are still not permitted. The updated standard will also allow females with long hair the option to wear a ponytail while wearing an Army Combat Uniform during physical training, or while wearing tactical headgear during tactical training or combat operations. The Army defines long hair as a length that extends beyond the collar. Army standards require this hairstyle to be neatly and inconspicuously fastened above the collar's lower edge.
Approved hairstyle changes include no minimum hair length for female Soldiers, allowing multiple hairstyles at once (i.e. braiding, twists or locs). Soldiers will be able to wear ponytails if unable to form a bun, and may wear long ponytails while conducting physical training, in the combat uniform or when female Soldiers wear equipment such as, but not limited to, combat helmets. The grooming standard changes make it easier and safer for women to secure natural hair of all types in garrison and combat headgear.
Non-Retired Former Soldiers and Uniforms
The shift back to allowing beards across the ranks isn't due to historical significance entirely. “Commanders will analyze the risk of a free hanging ponytail or braid and use commander’s discretion to determine if long hair will be secured or tucked inside the uniform top,” said Sanders. After speaking with Marine and Coast Guard women, she was advised to create a strong visual presentation. And as for any soldiers — particularly former soldiers — who think these changes are just the Army’s effort to be “politically correct,” or want to talk about how the Army isn’t the same as when you were in?
Army Allows Female Soldiers to Wear Long Ponytails in All Uniforms - Military.com
Army Allows Female Soldiers to Wear Long Ponytails in All Uniforms.
Posted: Thu, 06 May 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Along with hair standards, the Army is allowing women to wear lipstick and nail polish — something that used to be allowed but was later outlawed. The new standards will also allow men to wear clear nail polish if they wish, which could be used to protect their nails if they “serve in the job specialties that have to deal with harsh chemicals,” for instance. Leadership at all levels is responsible for enforcing the army hair policy. All soldiers will comply with hair, fingernail, and grooming policies in military uniform or civilian clothes on duty.
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. In addition, soldiers can not shape their facial hair into goatees, handlebar mustaches or other styles. In addition to an update in hair regulations, The Army is introducing a wide range of changes to the uniform and grooming regulations. They expect all soldiers to always maintain a uniform and professional look. A recent update to grooming standards is the removal of female members having to observe a minimum length of 1/4 inch from the scalp. Females are currently authorized to wear earrings when wearing their service, dress, mess, and evening mess uniforms.
Wigs are also authorized so long as they look natural and once again conform to standard hair regulations. Thus, U.S. Army hair regulations, facial hair, and other accessories (makeup, fingernails, etc) are considered daily essentials in order to maintain a high-functioning, well-disciplined unit. Hair regulations are meant to reinforce uniformity in the military, but many women — specifically Black women — have said that the stringent regulations don’t take into account different textures and lengths of hair. Mady Segal, a military sociologist and professor emerita at University of Maryland, College Park, said it's an "excellent step forward," but worries that many of these guidelines are specific to women and not inclusive to male soldiers. The U.S. Army this week unveiled an updated grooming policy that is set to go into effect in late February. The new policy also removes hair length and dimension requirements and allows ponytails and earrings.
Hair-holding devices are allowed only for the purpose of securing the hair for longer lengths. It’s defined as a hair length that extends beyond the lower edge of the collar. The hairstyle is not considered acceptable if when combed it falls over the ears or eyebrows, or touches the collar. And as Peters said at Military.com back in August, Black women “have not always had a voice,” but “the one thing they have always controlled and taken pride in is their hair. “The words ‘extreme’ and ‘exaggerated’ are sufficient when describing violations to the Grooming and Appearance Standard,” the slides say. Grinston teased that changes were coming on Twitter last week, saying hair is “absolutely” something the team leading the Army’s Project Inclusion initiative were working on.
The Army plans to authorize the wear of highlights if it presents a natural appearance and is not a prohibited color, Sanders said. Further, if a Soldier decides to color or highlight their hair, root growth of a different color should not exceed 1.5 inches of the original color. Under the new policy, medium-length ponytails are only authorized for wear on the back of the scalp and cannot exceed the head's width or interfere with the proper wear of a Soldier's headgear. WASHINGTON -- New changes to grooming and appearance standards are slated to take effect next month, as part of the Army’s commitment to improve the wellbeing of all Soldiers. Reactions across social media were, not all that unsurprisingly, mixed.
Yet, critics of the changes were quickly vocal, arguing that the soldiers looked scruffy, while others suggested the "standards" of the British military would suffer. Teresa Tennyson is a retired army officer who served in several countries in the Middle East. As an Arabic lingual and cultural specialist, her assignments included combat deployments and a diplomatic tour. Soldiers with religious accommodations can wear long-sleeved Army physical fitness uniform (APFU) tops and subdued leggings under APFU shorts.
To ensure a standard of equity and based on a July 2020 DoD-directed review, the Army has updated the grooming and hairstyle policies. The updates directly supports the Army’s diversity and inclusion efforts. Under the current policy, female soldiers' hair cannot be shorter than one-forth of an inch or have braids, twists, locks or cornrows that are wider than half an inch.
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