""If you want a beard, you can join special forces. If not, then shave. We don't have a military full of Nordic pagans," Hegseth said in his Quantico address to top military leaders outlining his vision for a MAGA-aligned Defense Department. "The era of rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles is done," he said. "If you don't meet the male-level physical standards for combat positions, cannot pass a PT test or don't want to shave and look professional, it's time for a new position.""
"For Sikh soldiers, shaving or cuttingtheir beard islike "cutting off a limb," said Marissa Rossetti, senior staff attorney at the Sikh Coalition. Uncut hair and beards are central to Sikh faith and identity. "We have Sikh service members who are deployed with beards right now - it's not a hindrance to how they're serving this country," said Rossetti. And it's not just Sikhs who could be affected, she said."
"Kyle Bibby, co-founder of Black Veterans Project and a former Marine captain, said, "If we have a soldier or sailor, airman, Marine ... who is good at their job, and they just have this medical condition, but they're willing to volunteer, it is absurd for us to try and tighten this." Some religious traditions require or strongly recommend men to keep their beards uncut."
A call to tighten military shaving and beard policies has been proposed, emphasizing uniform grooming and combat standards. Advocates for relaxed exceptions argue that willing, qualified service members with medical conditions or religious requirements should not be barred. Some leaders oppose broad exemptions and suggest special units for exceptions. Sikh advocates state that uncut hair and beards are central to faith and identity, describe shaving as like "cutting off a limb," and note deployed Sikh service members who serve effectively with beards. Past policy changes and court rulings produced waivers and protections for religious accommodations.
Read at Axios
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