I am now 80 years old annd have diffiiculty walking because of joint pains.. I made a mistake in my above comment. Im glad Im out of the military as I cannot stand to see one of the mightiest nations brought to surrender by idiocy and defamatory measures taken by the likes of yourself! I have Medicare and Tricare for my prescription that my doctor prescribed.. So while they cant stop you from wearing a beard or hair buns, they can refuse to deploy you and if you cant be deployed, then your military career is over. Unitsf. They shouldn't make ITalian female soldiers shave their faces iether. The other policy update, according to the Air Forces press release, is allowing airmen to wear patches worn by Guardians when working in joint units together. The sense of special privilege they come to feel based entirely on the might makes right attitude they are indocrinated into makes every one of them, no matter if they see actua combat or not, a mentally damaged threat to actual society and citizens. I SWWASZ AN E5 SSGTAND WARDMASTER ATT EDWARDS AFB, CALIFORNIA. As for women, hair hanging down, braids, any thought to the safety hazards that is going to cost? Nowadays there are companies turning out beard friendly gas masks. My 22 year career, Ive seen this cycle. But the ability to grow it out far enough to stop the bumps. Strip them of all that makes them think, or feel, and turn them into the mindless meat machines they should be. This new exception will inspire new recruits to join our military because it ties them a bit closer to the sleek and sharpness of the uniform. The soldiers brigade-level commander will approve a request for a religious accommodation unless the commander determines the request is not based on a sincerely held religious belief, or identifies a specific, concrete hazard that is not specifically addressed in this directive and that cannot be mitigated by reasonable measures, Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning said at the time. no sorry, a soldier MUST use US Government approved equipment. So they either accept the fact that hair buns and beards (with a religious exemption) can be worn but they will not be deployed and if you cant be deployed then you are of no use to the Military and out you go. People should stop worrying about others. They then passed it up to the battalion level, which is when things got difficult. The Army and Air Force have allowed beards as a religious accommodation for Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Norse heathen service members who have requested them. MILITARY.NET is a privately owned website and is NOT AFFILIATED (or endorsed)with the U.S. GOVERNMENT, U.S. ARMED FORCES, or DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. Di Liscia had been granted a no-shave chit in 2018 as a morale measure. The lack of the draft has hurt this country. But after years of the request being stuck in limbo, the Army found the request was made in good faith and on a sincerely held religious belief. This authorization was a huge step for future military men with religious beards in the military and specifically those practicing Norse Paganism.