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2020-02-12 Home Front: Culture Wars

Air Force Issues New Guidelines for Beards, Turbans and Hijabs

[Mil.com] Airmen will be allowed to wear up to 2-inch beards under a new Air Force guidance that outlines grooming standards for religious accommodations.

The updated grooming policy, published Friday, also allows members of the Sikh faith to wear turbans and Muslim women to wear hijabs.

Airmen must have religious or medical exemptions to grow beards, the policy says.

The guidance for beards grown under a shaving waiver remains unchanged: Such whiskers must not be trimmed to give a sculpted appearance and cannot exceed a quarter-inch in length, the updated policy states.

The Air Force is following the lead of the Army, which in 2017 became the first service to allow Muslim and Sikh soldiers to wear head coverings and beards in line with their religious beliefs. A similar accommodation was extended later to Norse pagan service members.

A Muslim airman first was allowed to wear a beard in 2018. The following year, a Sikh and at least two Norse heathen airmen were granted beard accommodations, according to a review of media reports.

Posted by Besoeker 2020-02-12 09:05|| || Front Page|| [11136 views ] Top

#1 More evidence of the impending doom of our military, as if anything additional was needed.

Posted by Besoeker 2020-02-12 09:08|| 2020-02-12 09:08|| Front Page Top

#2 Until every Muslim woman sacrificing to serve our country is free to grow a beard, none of us are truly free!

Posted by Unash Squank5598 2020-02-12 09:17|| 2020-02-12 09:17|| Front Page Top

#3 Look on the bright side, Besoeker. There must be at least a few berserkers among the "Norse pagans." I read once that Scyld Schefling was a real badass.

Posted by Lex 2020-02-12 09:38|| 2020-02-12 09:38|| Front Page Top

#4 After Action Report

BLUF: The proximate cause of the crash was NAME_REDACTED getting her hijab caught up in the rudder pedals while engaged in air combat maneuvering.

Posted by SteveS 2020-02-12 11:55|| 2020-02-12 11:55|| Front Page Top

#5 NAME_REDACTED suffered fatal inhalation heat and fumes when xer SCBA mask failed to be properly sealed.

Posted by swksvolFF 2020-02-12 12:29|| 2020-02-12 12:29|| Front Page Top

#6 When I was on active duty in the Navy in 1971, we were allowed to wear beards. I remember talking to one old salt who said "Just wait until you have to wear a gas mask. It won't seal if you have a beard."

Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2020-02-12 12:33|| 2020-02-12 12:33|| Front Page Top

#7 Darwin is patient.

Posted by gorb 2020-02-12 12:52|| 2020-02-12 12:52|| Front Page Top

#8 Clean shaven with 1/4" stubble is a standard, not a guideline.

Posted by Skidmark 2020-02-12 13:16|| 2020-02-12 13:16|| Front Page Top

#9 During the Navy Beards or OK timeframe, we had a detachment to Guam ( pre-turn over days) and went to the AF club that night. All the gurls came to our table and eventually the manager did too; told us we had to finish our beer and leave. Ascot boys didn't like that our bait was better and catching all the fish.....

Posted by USN, Ret. 2020-02-12 14:29|| 2020-02-12 14:29|| Front Page Top

#10 [ Limerick, please ]

Posted by Lex 2020-02-12 17:06|| 2020-02-12 17:06|| Front Page Top

#11 Is it best to be loved, or be feared?
To be thought a bit weird, or revered?
To appear a mite dreary...
Or really quite Leary?
A chap needn't choose... with a beard.

Nor a gal, neither, I suppose. All in good fun, eh, brooding bearded 'Burgers? By which I mean, "Please don't kill me!"

Posted by Unash Squank5598 2020-02-12 18:42|| 2020-02-12 18:42|| Front Page Top

05:28 Whiskey Mike
05:23 Whiskey Mike
05:21 Whiskey Mike
05:18 Whiskey Mike
05:15 Whiskey Mike
05:13 Whiskey Mike
05:08 Whiskey Mike
05:05 Whiskey Mike
05:03 Whiskey Mike
03:23 Besoeker
02:05 Grom the Affective
02:04 Grom the Affective
01:26 49 Pan
00:22 EMS Artifact
00:16 Skidmark