Shaving in the Army Essay Example

base of the sideburns will be a clean shaven, horizontal line. Sideburns will not extend below the lowest part of the exterior ear opening.

Males will keep their face clean-shaven when in uniform or in civilian clothes on duty. Mustaches are permitted; if worn, males will keep mustaches neatly trimmed, tapered, and tidy. Mustaches will not present a chopped off or bushy appearance, and no portion of the mustache will cover the upper lip line or extend sideways beyond a vertical line drawn upward from the corners of the mouth. Handlebar mustaches, goatees, and beards are not authorized. If appropriate medical authority prescribes beard growth, the length required for medical treatment must be specified.

For example, “The length of the beard will not exceed 1/4 inch. ” Soldiers will keep the growth trimmed to the level specified by appropriate medical authority, but they are not authorized to shape the growth into goatees, or “Fu Manchu” or handlebar mustaches. Males are prohibited from wearing wigs or hairpieces while in uniform or in civilian clothes on duty, except to cover natural baldness or physical disfiguration caused by accident or medical procedure. When worn, wigs or hair pieces will conform to the standard haircut criteria as stated above.

Males are prohibited from wearing cosmetics, to include nail polish. All personnel will keep fingernails clean and neatly trimmed. Males will keep nails trimmed so as not to extend beyond the fingertip. One of the army’s reasonings behind the facial grooming standard is uniform appearance. We all know that the army is full of tradition and ceremony. It is important for unity and cohesion in they army for all soldiers to feel a

sense of belonging and brother hood. To achieve this, uniformity is key. Shaving is part of conforming to this unity.

Along with short hair cuts, trimmed nails, no body piercing, showing tattoos or any other types of visible customization or individuality. Another reason behind the army’s shaving standards is because of the army’s NBC equipment. The reasoning behind this is that with facial hair a soldier cant get a proper seal between his skin and the army issued gas mask. I personally think this is a bogus reason, because its my opinion that if we were attacked with biological or chemical weapons. We would all die because even if we could get it all on in time i seriously doubt it would be affective anyway.

A reason that I myself have recently considered is that it gives us a task to complete for the day. There are many days while in garrison that soldiers sit around and do nothing until its time to go home. Not because they are lazy, but because they simply have nothing to do. So i guess you could say that at the very least we get paid to shave everyday. The last and final reason I have considered for being a reason we are made to shave is that some of the soldiers cannot grow facial hair. So out of a need to make everyone feel on an even keel and to keep younger or less developed soldiers from feeling insignificant.

The army makes those of us who are able to look like Grizzly Adams,shave. So in conclusion you have the “reasons” the army makes soldiers shave. And also you have my one

theories on the subject. You can pick and choose the reasons or come up with your own theories. However the cold hard truth is either way we still have to shave. And until the man chopps from the days of Grant and Lee or the goat braids of Leonidus come back. We all will have to lather up and scape our faces whether we want to or not. Besides nco’s and team-leaders need something to do too.