Although Hegseth has insisted that the US military resume strict discipline on beards, some units within it continue to grow them.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has made it clear that if you are in the United States military and have a beard (and aren’t in the Special Forces), he doesn’t want to see you, and you shouldn’t expect to remain in the service for long.
The former Fox News weekend host, who now heads the Pentagon, recently traveled with President Donald Trump to the Far East. At press time, he was scheduled to visit Camp Humphreys in South Korea, the largest American overseas military base, to meet with the troops—with one major caveat. According to multiple reports, Hegseth has “given explicit instructions” that he will not meet with any military personnel who have received “shaver waivers,” including any medical exemptions.
Hegseth Announced a “War on Beards” Last Month
The secretary declared a very public war on facial hair during the pep talk to senior military leadership at Quantico, Virginia, last month.
“Today, at my direction, the era of unprofessional appearance is over,” Hegseth announced in his speech. “No more beardos. The age of rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles is done.”
Hegseth was also critical of the religious waivers and doubled down on that sentiment, telling the hundreds of senior officials, “We don’t have a military full of Nordic Pagans. But unfortunately, we have leaders who either refused to call BS and enforce standards, or leaders who felt that they were not allowed to enforce standards. Both are unacceptable.”
In August, Hegseth issued a memo that directed unit commanders to “begin separating” personnel who will require a shaving waiver after more than a year of medical treatment. In a follow-up memo from September, the DoD will revert to its pre-2010 standards on religious waivers, Task & Purpose explained. Facial hair waivers for religious reasons will generally be “not authorized.”
Hegseth has been committed to the military presenting a more spit-and-polish, thinner appearance, while highlighting the need for the armed forces to adopt a “warrior ethos.” The push for greater uniformity went beyond beards.
“No more beards, long hair, superficial individual expression. We’re going to cut our hair, shave our beards, and adhere to standards. If you want a beard, you can join special forces. If not, then shave,” Hegseth added.
The secretary has seemed unconcerned that some service members may develop pseudofolliculitis barbae, a painful condition that can cause inflammation, redness, and bumps after shaving. It impacts as many as 60 percent of black men, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.
The Special Forces have allowed, and sometimes even encouraged, its personnel to wear beards. Historically, there has been a good reason for this: beards were very common in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the US spent the last two decades fighting, and beards helped to facilitate camouflage in the field. That begs the question, though: why wouldn’t beards be encouraged for all warfighters?
The other consideration is that facial hair has served as a means of “cultural integration,” allowing Special Forces personnel to blend in with local populations. The question is whether the policy will change as the United States military pivots to great-power competition with near-peer adversaries, including China and Russia, where beards aren’t quite so common today—unless Hegseth believes Special Forces need to blend in with the Don Cossacks.
Beards Were Once a Mark of a True Man
Finally, it is almost odd that Hegseth continually speaks of “warrior ethos” while disparaging facial hair. Numerous cultures, from the Mongols to the Vikings, wore beards as a sign of experience.
In Western culture in the 19th century, beards were a mark of a “true man.”
Throughout Europe and later in the United States, the young military recruits were often clean-shaven. After service, they’d return home from major conflicts with full, thick beards, which were then seen as a mark of heroism.
Beards became a common feature among explorers, big-game hunters, and outdoorsmen.
At one point, Hegseth himself wore a beard. As The Daily Beast reported, Hegseth returned to his Fox News duties in August 2018 with a “vacation beard“—which he only shaved off after his co-hosts urged him to do so.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
