Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo Wednesday ordering senior Pentagon leadership to conduct a review of military standards related to health and appearance across all services.
The message calls for the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness to collect information pertaining to physical fitness, body composition and grooming, so that the department can conduct a thorough overview of how and why those standards have changed since Jan. 1, 2015.
“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,” Hegseth wrote. “Our adversaries are not growing weaker, and our tasks are not growing less challenging.”
The memo specifically highlights beards as an area of focus.
Currently, military personnel can only grow facial hair with a waiver or exemption for a medical condition, religious accommodation or other approved reason.
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Some services have signaled that they might be more receptive to loosening those rules.
The Air Force granted five-year medical waivers for beards in 2020, whereas previously it had only given one-year waivers, and has weighed establishing a pilot program that would allow participating airmen and guardians to grow out their facial hair.
For some service members, growing out a beard is a health issue.
Certain troops experience a medical condition called pseudofolliculitis barbae, which leads to unwanted bumps and painful ingrown hair from shaving regularly. About 60% of Black men are affected by the condition, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.
But there is still tension surrounding the issue.
In May 2024, an Army master sergeant with the 25th Infantry Division alleged he lost out on a position because of his beard.
Hegseth’s focus on physical fitness also comes several weeks after a federal watchdog criticized the Army for admitting trainees into a fitness course whose body fat composition exceeded the course’s standards and should’ve barred them from entering.
The report raised questions about the health of recruits, as well as the Army’s understanding of its own standards for physical fitness.
The Army announced in 2024 its intention to expand its Holistic Health and Fitness program, established in 2018, to the entire service by 2032. The program seeks to educate service members on the best ways to improve the physical, mental, and sleep aspects of their lives.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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