The Army has updated its grooming policy on facial hair, now requiring soldiers with nonreligious exemptions to be supported by a medical profile and memo from their chain of command.
The update reinforces the requirement that soldiers be clean-shaven when in uniform or in civilian clothes on duty, with temporary exemptions for medical reasons and permanent exemptions for religious accommodations, according to an Army release.
Soldiers who require exemptions must also maintain presentable copies of their required documents when in uniform or in civilian clothes on duty. That applies to both temporary medical exemptions and permanent religious exemptions.
“This update reinforces our culture that fosters discipline — and discipline equals readiness,” said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael R. Weimer. “Through a phased implementation we are working with providers through commanders to effectively address grooming standards to ensure we maintain a professional force.”
The directive also provides guidance on pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB. Also known as razor bumps, the condition disproportionately affects Black men. The directive emphasizes the role of health care providers and commanders in motivating and supporting soldiers with PFB to manage their condition and adhere to grooming standards within a reasonable timeframe.
Health care providers and commanders will provide education and treatment plans while monitoring the soldier’s progress toward adhering to grooming standards. Soldiers who cannot comply with grooming standards within a reasonable timeframe may be administratively separated, according to the release.
Todd South has written about crime, courts, government and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written project on witness intimidation. Todd is a Marine veteran of the Iraq War.
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