Once this practice was put into place, a completely shaven soldier became the Army norm. In fact, this was such a serious change in dress code policy that soldiers were given razors in their GI kits so that they could shave even when in the field. So that meant a soldier’s options were either shave the beard and avoid sucking in poison, or keep your awesome beard and just look really cool while you get blasted in the face with a mouthful of tear gas. Because of the chemical warfare that started to play into battle during the first World War, gas masks became a necessity, and in order to attain a full seal against the wearer’s skin and avoid leaks, the mask must be flush against skin. Then some idiot invented chemical weapons in WWI and ruined things for everyone.Īnd this is where we get to the bottom of why beards in the military ended up disappearing. At this time, the Army’s ground soldiers were also pretty much left alone in regards to facial hair grooming standards. Through the later 19th and earlier 20th centuries, sailors were allowed longer hair and beards as long as they remained neatly trimmed, and according to reports, sailors in colder climates were allowed longer beards, and those in submarines had more lax grooming standards because of the lack of fresh water onboard. Have you guys seen Ambrose Burnside? That’s a General I’m going to follow into battle without hesitation. Then in 1801 the commanding general of the Army, Major General James Wilkinson decided that was a stupid rule and eliminated it, and beardstaches, epic beards, and muttonchops became the norm. published a report that says that beards were strictly forbidden in the Army, and soldiers were required to shave three times per week. recently published an article entitled “The Good Ol’ Days When You Could Rock A Beard in the US Military” which discusses the timeline of facial hair in the Armed Forces.Īccording to the article, for the first 60+ years of the Navy’s existence, there were no real grooming standards laid out, and by 1812 sideburns became fashionable and thus a commonly sported look by Navy men. Without any further ado, I give you – A (very) brief history of facial hair in the Armed Forces. Now, onto the facial hair in the US Armed Forces question. Fear not, fellow beardsman, I’m here to answer this question for all inquiring minds. It seems like facial hair in the various branches of US Armed Forces is a little bit like Kristen Stewart’s career – it was hot and oft celebrated for a long while, then it sort of disappeared, and no one asks what happened. Today, however, growing facial hair in the military is pretty much a nonstarter. Come to think of it, most of the military men of centuries gone by rocked some crazy cool facial hair.
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