An Army directive authorizing beards for soldiers based on their religion applies to all religions — as evidenced from this recent memo from a brigade commander.
Eight Army's commander rescinded the shaving requirement along with a handful of other conduct and appearance standards that govern soldiers stationed, or on temporary duty, in South Korea.
Army Command Sgt. Maj. John Troxell, the senior enlisted adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, says beards would detract from a professional military image.
Nearly a year after authorizing beards for Sikh men, the Army is still doing tests to figure out if there’s a way to allow soldiers to wear beards in combat but still protect them from chemical or biological weapons.
When the Army authorized beards for Sikh soldiers, a change years in the making, the move begged the question: If the Army says it’s safe for Sikhs to wear beards, what about everyone else?
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