"The rules and the strictness with which they are upheld vary among the different service branches. The Marine Corps and Army are among the toughest enforcers. For some senior leaders, the restriction on putting hands in pockets is about discipline, uniformity, and maintaining a professional appearance - looking sharp, so to speak. But for service members, the rule can feel impractical and has spawned numerous Reddit threads devoted to the matter."
"Marines ban pocketed hands under almost all circumstances when not training, feeling that the look can "detract from an appropriate military presence," according to the Corps' uniform manual. But when training outdoors, "good judgment" will govern whether Marines can put their hands in their pockets. The Army's uniform regulations ban hands in pockets for any reason other than "momentarily to place or retrieve objects.""
"Military branches have different rules when it comes to hands in pockets. Regulations vary, with some strictly enforcing the rule and others not really caring at all. Other military rules include weird ones on umbrellas, gym bag straps, and neon glow belts. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's crusade against military facial hair is just the latest in a long line of rules you'd struggle to find anywhere else in American life."
Different U.S. military branches maintain varying rules about keeping hands out of pockets. The Marine Corps and Army enforce strict prohibitions, citing discipline, uniformity, and professional appearance, with limited training exceptions or brief retrieval allowances. The Navy reversed a prior ban in 2024, permitting pockets if safety and saluting are unaffected. The Air Force authorized pocketed hands in 2021. The rule often feels impractical to service members and has generated online debate. Other unusual regulations also exist, including prohibitions or quirks about chewing gum, umbrellas, gym bag straps, neon glow belts, and facial-hair policies.
Read at Business Insider
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]