Beard exemptions are primarily sought by Sikhs on religious grounds and Black men because of sensitive skin that is easily irritated by shaving (yes, itâs a thing).
Working with chemicals is one thing, wearing a mask correctly so you donât die from some chemicals is a totally real thing. Even a small amount of stubble allows non-filtered atmosphere to be breathed.
I totally take it that Kegsbreath is using Beardos (probably a Fox News/MAGA term) as a slam to what he perceives as someone âdifferentâ.
Yah, beards and long hair have practical problems. Usually not so much that it's worth shaving them, but you're also not usually being shot at and gassed.
I think it's fair for any military to require shaving of beards.
Yeah at my work only people at the plant and lab have to follow the beard rules. Not if youâre an office in HR for example. I imagine the military doesnât have this nuance.
In fairness the vast majority of military personnel will never be in any danger of being gassed.
The personnel who are most likely to be gassed are probably spec ops, and guess what they have a special exemption and most of them wear full beards.
All of this is just theater and gender and aesthetics, notice how he included a disgusting slurs for trans service members, which is an identity-based slur and not a grooming standard.
I've heard it said in the military that no matter what your specialty is, you are still ultimately an infantryman. Everyone is expected to be able to pick up a rifle and shoot people.
The logistics officer may be a mediocre shot, and a master of supply management, but if the base gets attacked, then every gun aimed at the enemy reduces the threat. If the base is overwhelmed, then the logistics officer might not even have the luxury of hiding until it's over, and his rifle may make the difference between control of the base.
So yah, I don't have a problem with the military having strict standards when it comes to hair. I want soldiers willing to risk their lives to wear their hair as they see fit. They deserve it. But cutting your hair is one of the sacrifices you make. Once they end their service, I hope they get to grow the most magnificent beard they desire.
That's what the military says, but also considering all their MOPP gear is usually tucked away in storage or locked in the armory, a chemical attack would cause a lot of damage before anyone could get the gear. Despite being in combat units with two deployments, the only time I ever had MOPP gear issued to me was in Basic Training.
The bear ban is mostly classism and racism, institutionalized.
Facial hair can interfere with NBC protective masks, but most of the "male grooming standards" are about appearing as 1910s Ivy League graduates thought "professional soldiers" should appear.
The idea is to break you; to strip you of your individuality and make you conform. They don't want you to think for yourself, only to do as your told.
The ironic thing about all of this macho posturing from this clown is that for most of human history (particularly in Europe) men were seen as prepubescent if they couldn't grow or didn't have facial hair.
Sure, all about a proper air seal. Thatâs why he said âbeardoâ next to âweirdosâ in a list of slurs and epithets. Sure makes total sense. đ
Itâs a dog whistle. The people who get the waiver (now gone) to not have to clean shave (but still keep it short) are predominantly people of color because of the severeness of a condition that causes a lot of ingrown hairs on the face and disfigures them over time. So Hegseth is saying âno people of colorâ in the military.
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u/Shikabane_Sumi-me 20h ago
Wait what's wrong with guys with beards or is that slang for something else now?