Facial hair in the military has been at various times common, prohibited, or an integral part of the uniform.
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In the armed forces (and police) of India, only Sikhs are allowed to wear beards as their religion expressly requires followers to do so. They are required to keep it neatly tied in a hairnet or keep it trimmed. In fact, in Sikh-only units there are instances of personnel transferred out by the unit Commander for their refusal to wear beard and hair as required by Sikh religion, although no official regulation exists on this.
Exceptions for other religions are made in case of under-cover special forces operatives like army commandos(Para SF) and navy commandos (MARCOS) who are allowed to grow beards.[1]
Navy personnel are allowed to grow beards subject to the permission of the respective Commanding Officer.[2]
Regular army on active duty are sometimes exempt from the facial-hair regulations for the duration of their 'tour' if their task makes access to such facilities difficult.
Beards are permitted in most branches and units of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Takavaran (Iranian Marines) must be clean shaven.
The IDF prohibits the growing of facial hair unless a special request form has been filed and approved. The requests are generally for religious reasons and for health reasons, such as acne. Once the form has been approved, it is valid for no more than a single year, after which it has to be renewed.
Beards are not allowed in the Lebanese Armed Forces. Only trimmed moustaches are allowed that don't pass the upper lip.
Beards are permitted in Pakistan Army . There is a special allowance for bigger moustaches but they must be neat and trimmed . Although most of the officers are clean shaven. Javed Nasir was a 3 star general who kept a traditional beard as done by most of the Muslims.[3]
Beards are not allowed in the Syrian Army. Trimmed moustaches, however, are allowed.
The Austrian Armed Forces permits moustaches and sideburns, as long as they are neatly trimmed.
Danish Army personnel are generally allowed to wear any well kept beard. Stubble, however, is not allowed. Full beards are popular among units deployed in Afghanistan, as it is easier to maintain when in the field. This also helps break down cultural barriers between the Danish and the Afghans, as most Afghan men wear full beards. As an exception, soldiers who belong to Den Kongelige Livgarde (The Royal Life Guards) are not allowed to have beards when on guard duty. Additionally, Danish soldiers are not required to have short haircuts. Long hair among male soldiers is rare, however, as it is not seen as "proper" by most soldiers..
The regulations of the Finnish Defence Forces (Rule 91) prohibit the growing of a moustache, a beard or long hair.[4]
Since the Napoleonic era and throughout the nineteenth century, sappers (combat engineers) of the French Army had to wear full beards. Élite troops, such as Grenadiers, had to wear large moustaches. Infantry Chasseurs were asked to wear moustaches and goatees; and Hussars, in addition to their moustache, usually wore two braids in front of each ear, to protect their neck from sword slashes.[5] These traditions were gradually abandoned since the beginning of the 20th century, except for the French Foreign Legion sappers (see below).
The "decree N° 75-675 regarding regulations for general discipline in the Armies of 28 July 1975, modified"[6] regulates facial hair in the French armed forces. Military personnel are allowed to grow a beard or moustache only during periods when they are out of uniform. The beard must be "correctly trimmed", and provisions are stated for a possible ban of beards by the military authorities to ensure compatibility with certain equipment.
However, within the Foreign Legion, sappers are traditionally encouraged to grow a large beard. Sappers chosen to participate in the Bastille Day parade are in fact specifically asked to stop shaving so they'll have a full beard when they march down the Champs-Élysées.
The moustache was an obligation for gendarmes until 1933. By tradition, some gendarmes may still grow a moustache.
Submariners may be bearded, clean-shaved, or "patrol-bearded", growing a beard for the time of a patrol in reminiscence of the time of the diesel submarines whose cramped space allowed for rustic and minimal personal care.
In the Third Reich-era Wehrmacht, facial hair beyond a small neatly-trimmed mustache was against regulations,[7] though such regulations were often relaxed under field conditions. The latter was particularly true for in the case of the Kriegsmarine and Gebirgsjager.[8] Growth of a full beard was the norm for U-boat crews on active duty, though facial hair was expected to be shaved soon after reaching port.[9]
The present-day regulations of the Bundeswehr allow soldiers to grow a beard, on condition that it be trimmed, unobtrusive and well-kept. Beards must not impact the proper use of any military equipment. Moreover, stubble may not be shown; thus a clean-shaven soldier who wants to start growing a beard must do so during his furlough.
According to German military tradition, soldiers should not have beards, only mustaches. Therefore this form of facial hair is still the only one allowed to members of the so-called Wachbataillon (Guard Battalion), which is deployed for solely protocol-related duties. Likewise, superior officers are rarely seen with large beards.
In the Greek armed forces, only the navy permits seamen to wear a beard. Neatly trimmed moustaches are the only facial hair permitted in the army.
The growing of beards is not permitted in any branch of the Irish Defence Forces. Moustaches are permitted with permission. Sideburns are not allowed beyond ear length. The Irish police force similarly does not allow any uniformed members to grow beards, but does allow moustaches on the upper lip and ear length sideburns.
In the Italian armed forces, beards are only allowed during enrollment. In the various branches of the Police, no specific law is in force. Stubble is permitted outside of ceremonial occasions.
In the Royal Netherlands Army, officers and soldiers may only grow beards after permission has been obtained. As in many other armies, automatic permission is given for certain medical conditions. Mustaches may be grown without asking permission. Beards are worn at times by the Royal Netherlands Marines and by Royal Netherlands Navy personnel. All facial hair in the Netherlands armed forces is subject to instant removal when operational circumstances demand it. Recent operations in Afghanistan under the ISAF have seen a trend of growing "tour beards", both for bonding and as a way of advancing contacts with the Afghan population, who regard a full beard as a sign of manhood. A beard without a mustache is uncommon in the Netherlands.
The Royal Guard is required to be clean-shaven. Most operative personnel are not allowed to wear beards (so as not to interfere with gas masks) unless:
Although, in the enduring operations in Afghanistan, many soldiers have grown full beards.
Traditionally, Russian soldiers of Muscovy wore beards, but during the reign of Peter the Great they were completely banned in the army and even for civilians, except members of the clergy. Peter did however make moustaches a requirement for every soldier excluding officers, and all of the Russian infantry of the imperial reign could be seen sporting them, often growing beyond the upper-lip. Although the typical image of the imperial Russian soldier shown him with a beard, they were not universally permitted until 1895. Cavalrymen also met these requirements. Officers and staff on the other hand grew whatever hair they wished, and generally kept with the fashion of the time.
The Spanish Legion allows beards to be grown. Dress and grooming standards for Spanish ISAF forces have been relaxed to help the troops blend in better with the local Muslim population.
Although wearing a moustache is very common among Turkish men, according to the Internal Service Law, active personnel are not allowed to grow a beard.
Until the mid-19th century, facial hair was unusual in the British military, except for the sappers. During the Crimean war, facial hair was a novelty; giving in to the pressure of fashion in a remarkably hairy era, Foot Guards allowed all ranks to grow large moustaches, once they got to the Crimea, and by the time of the Battle of the Alma, they were getting quite hirsute. By the winter they were permitted full beards. This later spread to other branches of the British Army.
From the late 19th century until 1916, British soldiers were forbidden to shave their upper lips. This regulation was finally abolished by an Army Order dated 6 October 1916 issued by Lieutenant-General Sir Nevil Macready, Adjutant-General to the Forces, who loathed his own moustache and immediately shaved it off.[10][11]
Since that time, the Royal Navy has allowed "full sets" (beards and moustaches together and joined) but not beards or moustaches alone, while the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Marines allow moustaches only. Exceptions are beards grown for religious reasons (usually by Sikhs or Muslims), although in the event of conflict in which the use of chemical or biological weapons is likely, they may be required to shave a strip around the seal of a respirator, or for medical reasons, such as temporary skin irritations. Infantry pioneer warrant officers, colour sergeants and sergeants also traditionally wear beards and are rarely seen without them. Beards are also permitted to special forces when on covert intelligence operations or behind enemy lines.
More recently, the British Army has been seen sporting a full range of stubble, moustaches and beards in Afghanistan in an effort to blend in with the generally bearded Afghan men, for whom a beard is seen as a sign of virility and authority.[12]
Any style of facial hair is allowed in British police forces as long as it is neatly trimmed.
The Canadian Forces permits moustaches, provided they be neatly trimmed and do not pass beyond the corners of the mouth; an exception to this is the handlebar moustache, which is permitted. Generally speaking, beards are not permitted to CF personnel with the following exceptions:
These exceptions notwithstanding, in no case is a beard permitted without a moustache, and only full beards may be worn (not goatees, van dykes, etc.).
Personnel with beards may still be required to modify or shave off the beard, as environmental or tactical circumstances dictate (e.g., to facilitate the wearing of a gas mask).
Beards are also allowed to be worn by personnel conducting OPFOR duties.
The United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps have policies that prohibit beards on the basis of hygiene, the necessity of a good seal for gas masks, and the official position that uniform personal appearance and grooming contribute to discipline and a sense of "esprit."[13]
All branches of the U.S. Military currently prohibit beards, although some mustaches are still allowed,[14] based on policies that were initiated during the period of World War I.
On November 10, 1970, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Elmo Zumwalt explicitly authorized beards for active duty Naval personnel, in his Z-gram number 57, "Elimination of Demeaning or Abrasive Regulation," although his position was that they were already implicitly allowed based on policy changes made by his predecessor, Thomas H. Moorer:[15]
"1. Those demeaning or abrasive regulations generally referred to in the fleet as "Mickey Mouse" or "Chicken" regs have, in my judgment, done almost as much to cause dissatisfaction among our personnel as have extended family separation and low pay scales. I desire to eliminate many of the most abrasive policies, standardize others which are inconsistently enforced, and provide some general guidance which reflects my conviction that if we are to place the importance and responsibility of "the person" in proper perspective in the more efficient Navy we are seeking, the worth and personal dignity of the individual must be forcefully reaffirmed. The policy changes below are effective immediately and will be amplified by more detailed implementing directives to be issued separately.
A. It appears that my predecessor's guidance in May on the subject of haircuts, beards and sideburns is insufficiently understand and, for this reason, I want to restate what I believed to be explicit: in the case of haircuts, sideburns, and contemporary clothing styles, my view is that we must learn to adapt to changing fashions. I will not countenance the rights or privileges of any officers or enlisted men being abrogated in any way because they choose to grow sideburns or neatly trimmed beards or moustaches or because preferences in neat clothing styles are at variance with the taste of their seniors, nor will I countenance any personnel being in any way penalized during the time they are growing beards, moustaches, or sideburns. [15]
The Navy ban on beards was reinstated in 1984 by CNO James D. Watkins.[14] Beards are tacitly permitted onboard many US submarines while on deployment.
The U.S. Coast Guard allowed beards until 1986, when they were banned by Commandant Admiral Paul Yost. The majority of police forces in the United States still ban their officers from wearing beards. Moustaches however, are generally allowed in both the military and police forces (except for those undergoing basic training).
Those with skin conditions such as pseudofolliculitis barbae or severe acne are allowed to maintain short facial hair with the permission of a doctor or medic, but no shaping is allowed, only trimming with an electric razor, or approved regular razor. 1/8 of an inch is usually the limit for this condition.
Additionally, for almost a decade, ending with a "deauthorization" order that took effect on September 7, 2010, many Special Forces members in Afghanistan were allowed to wear beards.[16]
In 2010, the U.S. Army granted waivers for a number of Sikh soldiers and one Muslim soldier, permitting them to have beards (and in the case of the Sikh soldiers, to have "unshorn" hair covered by turbans).[17][18] In 2010, a rabbi filed suit against the Army for permission to be commissioned as a Jewish chaplain without shaving his beard,[19] noting (among other issues) that another Jewish Chaplain, Colonel Jacob Goldstein, has been serving (first in the New York State National Guard and later in the United States Army Reserve) since 1977 with a beard.[20]
The Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy and Brazilian Air Force permit moustaches, as long as they are trimmed to just above the upper lip. Recruits, however, may not wear moustaches. Beards are generally not allowed except for special exceptions, such as covering a deformity. In such cases, a beard is permitted under authorization.[21]
Beards are normally not allowed in the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force, however, neatly trimmed moustaches and sideburns are allowed. Regulations apply, however. The moustache can not be grown past the top lip or extend past the mouth opening on either side. The sideburns are not to be past the point where the bottom of the ear connects to the facial skin. In some circumstances though, such as medical or religious reasons beards may be permitted. The one exception to this rule however, is the assault pioneers, who are allowed to grow a beard.
In the Royal Australian Navy, members may grow a beard but only with approval from their Commanding Officer. The beard must be complete, joined from sideburns, covering the chin and joining the moustache. A moustache on its own is not permitted.