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Women soldiers can also now have short hair; shaved heads are now allowed for women, with minimum hair lengths erased in the latest update. Serving in the Army requires a well-groomed and professional appearance. The Army strives to be as inclusive as possible while making sure every Soldier can perform their duties as safely as possible. Appearance regulations are considerate of religious beliefs and many forms of cultural expression. Hair regulations are meant to reinforce uniformity in the military, but many women — specifically Black women — have said that the stringent regulations don’t take into account different textures and lengths of hair. "Having grooming standards that show sensitivity to the cultural and ethnic diversity already present in our Army would go a long way."
U.S. Army Hair Regulations Blasted for Being 'Racially Biased' - TIME
U.S. Army Hair Regulations Blasted for Being 'Racially Biased'.
Posted: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Army Flat Top
Highlights also can’t be unnatural colors, such as purple, blue, green, pink, bright red, fluorescent or neon. The Army also repealed its ban on “multiple hairstyles” so women can combine cornrows, twists, braids and locs. According to an information paper posted by Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel Lt. Gen. Gary Brito’s office, the update is part of the Army’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. "This is how we shift the culture and embrace forward thinking," Sanders added. "It is time to dig deeper and use our lexicon and vocabulary to describe what is authorized and what does not conform to a professional military appearance, good order and discipline."
AR 670-1 Army Haircut Regulations
Review your options at ROTC Scholarships, or immediately apply by creating an account at my.goarmy.com to get started. “Allowing this modification will alleviate some strain to the scalp caused by mandatory bun for medium and long hair,” the slides say. The recommendations were identified after a July directive from then-Secretary of Defense Mark Esper which ordered a review of hairstyle and grooming policies for racial bias. Veterans with wartime service who were honorably discharged can also wear uniforms, according to Paragraph 23-4 of AR 670-1. The regulations restrict ceremonial attire to service and dress uniforms only.
Highlights (uniformly blended colors)
The new standards will also allow men to wear clear nail polish if they wish, which could be used to protect their nails if they “serve in the job specialties that have to deal with harsh chemicals,” for instance. Male soldiers can also wear highlights if they follow the standards listed above. The new grooming standards also allow them to shave their hair shorter than ¼ inch. Along with supporting a Soldier's identity, the Army approved the use of additional colors of lipstick and nail polish, including the wear of clear nail polish by male Soldiers.
According to Paragraph 3-2 of AR 670-1, mustaches can not extend past the corners of the mouth (imagine a vertical line drawn upward from the corners of the mouth). Braids and ponytails can not extend past the bottom of their shoulder blades when standing at attention. The flat-top military haircut is characterized by short sides and back, with the hair on top cut to stand up straight and form a flat-appearing deck. The Army Haircut Regulations apply to both men and women, though there are specific rules for each gender. So now you might be wondering what hairstyles are acceptable and what are not.
AR 670-1 Female Hair Regulation
If wearing the APFU as a complete uniform, retirees must abide by the standards of AR 670-1, but they can add approved retired shoulder-sleeve insignia and identification badges. Though there has been recent talk of loosening beard policy, the Army has not yet revised its longstanding policies banning beards and restricting mustaches as of the latest round of updates. The Army plans to authorize the wear of highlights if it presents a natural appearance and is not a prohibited color, Sanders said. Further, if a Soldier decides to color or highlight their hair, root growth of a different color should not exceed 1.5 inches of the original color. Under the new policy, medium-length ponytails are only authorized for wear on the back of the scalp and cannot exceed the head's width or interfere with the proper wear of a Soldier's headgear.
Non-Retired Former Soldiers and Uniforms
The updated standard removes the constraints of dimension requirements. A review panel, which was made up of representatives throughout the Army, voted on the changes announced earlier this year, but did not originally vote to allow ponytails in all uniforms. Grinston said in March that they “asked if they could reconsider their decision” after hearing from soldiers. Female soldiers can now wear highlights in their hair if the colors blend together naturally without a “vast difference” between the shades. Females are currently authorized to wear earrings when wearing their service, dress, mess, and evening mess uniforms.
Other Religious Uniform Standards
The authorized wear of a medium-length ponytail could lower an individual’s risk of hair loss, reduce scarring, or decrease the likelihood of migraine headaches caused by repeatedly pulling hair into a tight bun. Female Soldiers with medium-length hair will have the option to wear a ponytail if the individual's hair length or texture prevents them from securing it into a tight bun, Sanders said. A medium-length hairstyle must extend more than 1 inch from the scalp and cannot exceed the lower edge of the collar in all uniforms. Soldiers will also be authorized to wear multiple hairstyles as long as it maintains a neat and professional appearance, and if the hairstyle doesn't impede the use of headgear or other equipment, Sanders said. The push to change the Army's grooming standards proves that the force is evolving and making a concerted effort to make everyone feel included, said Master Sgt. Quintana Mitchell, the uniform policy NCO for G-1. The U.S. Army is committed to implementing policies that promote inclusivity throughout the ranks.
Having “grooming standards that show sensitivity to the cultural and ethnic diversity already present in our Army would go a long way in ‘walking the talk’ about diversity and inclusion,” she told Task & Purpose. New grooming standards, which will be reflected in a forthcoming memo (ALARACT), will also go into effect in February. Approved revisions include optional wear of earrings, lipstick and nail colors for women and clear nail polish for men.
Earrings will remain unauthorized in field environments, combat-related deployments or locations where access to normal hygiene is not available. The Army is going to allow women to wear ponytails in all uniforms, just months after revising its hair and grooming standards to allow ponytails and long braids in some instances. The recommendations from last month included much of what was announced on Tuesday, such as allowing women to wear multiple hairstyles at once and removing the minimum hair length for women so they can choose if they want to have hair or not.
To ensure a standard of equity and based on a July 2020 DoD-directed review, the Army has updated the grooming and hairstyle policies. The updates directly supports the Army’s diversity and inclusion efforts. The changes also stemmed from concerns over how the hair requirements were impacting soldiers’ health and causing hair loss or preventing hair growth, and were meant to improve diversity and inclusion efforts in the service. In 2015, the Army updated its tattoo policies to open the ranks to the 41% of millennials with at least one tattoo. The most significant changes are new regulations increasing the variety of acceptable hairstyles for female soldiers.
The changes originally said the ponytail had to be tucked into the back of the soldier’s uniform, but Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston tweeted on Thursday stating that will no longer be a requirement. Approved hairstyle changes include no minimum hair length for female Soldiers, allowing multiple hairstyles at once (i.e. braiding, twists or locs). Soldiers will be able to wear ponytails if unable to form a bun, and may wear long ponytails while conducting physical training, in the combat uniform or when female Soldiers wear equipment such as, but not limited to, combat helmets. The grooming standard changes make it easier and safer for women to secure natural hair of all types in garrison and combat headgear.
