Military medical officers must provide a written recommendation for a waiver to the clean-shaven standard for those seeking an exemption.
The Pentagon on Sept. 15 unveiled grooming standards for facial hair, ordering military personnel to be clean-shaven and requiring that those granted a medical exemption be on a treatment plan.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth “recently directed the Services to implement … grooming standards for facial hair” following the rapid force-wide review of military standards.
The statement linked to an Aug. 20 memorandum, made public on Sept. 15, in which Hegseth said personnel should be “clean shaven and neat in presentation for a proper military appearance.”
The memorandum states that military medical officers must issue a written recommendation for a waiver to the clean-shaven rule, while final approval rests with the service member’s commander.
Those with an approved waiver must be put on a medical treatment plan.
Hegseth wrote: “Unit commanders will initiate separation of Service members who require a shaving waiver after more than 1 year of medical treatment. I have full confidence in our leaders at all levels to provide an accurate assessment of whether retention is appropriate.”
He said that the strength of the military is its shared purpose and unity, and that the Department of War “must remain vigilant in maintaining the grooming standards which underpin the warrior ethos.”
The directive was put into action effective immediately.
The U.S. Army last week announced updates to standards for grooming and uniform wear, including “precise” definitions for hairstyles, with standards on jewelry, cosmetics, and fingernails also being clarified.
The updates reflect “discipline, professionalism, and a shared commitment to the Army’s values,” the service said.
In January, the Air Force also introduced new policies on grooming and uniform wear. This included restrictions on women’s nail polish to only three options—clear, or American or French manicure—as well as directives on facial hair for male Airmen.
The Air Force said in the Jan. 29 memorandum, “Pride in an Airman’s personal appearance and uniform wear greatly enhances the discipline essential to an effective military force.”
It added that Airmen must maintain a high standard of personal appearance and dress to convey discipline and commitment to the Air Force, which, in turn, instills confidence in the American public and elected representatives.
Military Standards Rapid Review
In March, Hegseth ordered the Rapid Force-Wide Review of Military Standards, which included a review of physical fitness, body composition, and grooming standards.
Hegseth said in the March 12 memorandum that the review would reveal how the then-Department of Defense had maintained its standards and what changes would be needed going forward.
“We must remain vigilant in maintaining the standards that enable the men and women of our military to protect the American people and our homeland as the world’s most lethal and effective fighting force,” he said.
In April, Washington-based think tank American Security Project (ASP) released a report that found that nearly 68 percent of U.S. military reserve personnel were overweight.
“The number of young adults interested in military service remains sufficient to maintain current force strength. However, as overweight and obesity disqualify thousands of applicants each year, services are incentivized to violate body composition enlistment standards to meet recruitment goals,” the ASP report said.
Hegseth called the findings “completely unacceptable.”
He wrote on X on April 25: “This is what happens when standards are ignored—and this is what we are changing. Real fitness & weight standards are here.
“We will be FIT, not FAT.”
Ryan Morgan contributed to this report.
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