Long Hair in the Military

[chickendad]

Just curious, does anyone feel that Natives or anyone male should be allowed to have long hair in the military. In the beginning of the American military, it didn't matter about hair or beards. Length of hair doesn't make anyone a better warrior, but beards can be a problem if someone were to put on a gas mask. Some other countries it doesn't seem to matter to them and some are very tought fighters. I guess it was decided that short hair was better for hygene back in WWI. But now I wonder. Women are allowed as long as they keep it up while in uniform. When I was a recruiter, some young men didn't like the idea of cutting their hair. What is your thought?

[WocusWoman]

I have mixed opinions on this issue. The intention of the military is to make the soldiers look the same; to work as one, etc. etc. I guess they never take into account that our soldiers have differing skin colors, and bias and racism still exist in the ranks, even though they will never admit to it. With more and more women in the ranks, they are allowed to pull their hair completely up and back; why not let men keep long hair that have religious reasons to do so. They should be given the option to pull their hair up and back too. I have two younger male 1st cousins who enlisted in the past 3 years, and they were both upset over having to cut their long hair off. I was proud of them for being brave; but our granny had to tell one of them it would grow back some day, and the short hair would not make his traditional dancing any less meaningful.

[Lakota Wiyan]

Just curious, does anyone feel that Natives or anyone male should be allowed to have long hair in the military. In the beginning of the American military, it didn't matter about hair or beards. Length of hair doesn't make anyone a better warrior, but beards can be a problem if someone were to put on a gas mask. Some other countries it doesn't seem to matter to them and some are very tought fighters. I guess it was decided that short hair was better for hygene back in WWI. But now I wonder. Women are allowed as long as they keep it up while in uniform. When I was a recruiter, some young men didn't like the idea of cutting their hair. What is your thought?

There is one Lakota warrior who joined the Marine Corps in the 90's who was actually able to petition the Commandant to keep his long hair. He had to keep it braided tight, and even pinned it up a lot of times. He had to prove his heritage and elders and tribal leaders had to write letters verifying our tradition of long hair, and the signifigance behind that tradition. It took a few months to get done, and I know it's not a policy change, everyone wantin to do this has to go through the process. Not even a guarantee that everyone will be granted the same consideration.

My dad was a career Marine, and my husband is a Marine, so were my Uncles and a few cousins. I know that the thought process behind the haircut is to take the individuality of the person, and turn them ALL into a well oiled fighting machine. They lose their individuality and self awareness so that they can be built back up into majorly confident fighters...which is necessary. My dad was also a D.I., so he kind of explained some of this to me when I complained about how he talked to his recruits. I think that many Native warriors don't have a problem with cutting their hair in the spirit of joining that fighting team...My cousin M.J. grew his hair back after he was done with USMC....But I know they can contest that policy, if they choose to...don't know about the Navy or Army or Air Force.

[**jdazmum**]

All the responses on this issue, I agree with. The military has to deal with uniformity at all costs and long hair would be problematic to them. It not only affects the process, but the individual as well. It sounds bias too, but policy is policy. If you can't follow procedures in the military, you might as well not join.......that's what I think. I remember we had issues with women other than African American braiding their hair and it became a policy that only Blacks were allowed to have multibraids. Some servicemen still disobey the rules, especially women. They'll work their way around to having fingernail polishes, long nails, hair longer than the collar, stuff like that and they do get away with it. My husband had super long hair once before he joined the Marine Corps. Now he still has the medium fade, I love it though. I think it looks clean cut and sexy. Sometimes too much hair on the face and head doesn't look right in a squared away uniform.

[chickendad]

All great responses. As a person who has served the military off and on for 12 years I kinda miss having long hair. I was pround when I was able to wear a high and tight in the Marines. Now I'm in the National Guard and still wear a high and tight. But sometimes I see others with long hair and wish I could serve and still wear my hair long. My eldest son wears his long so I guess I'm jealous. At Paris Island during third phase you could let your hair grow into the high and tight. But we're still people with other beliefs and cultures. You can be a team member and a warrior without being like everyone else. If that were the case, we would be atomatoms, robots. What makes the American military the best is that we're allowed to think for ourselves on how to accomplish the missions. Other countries are told what and how to do the missions, this may be ok in the beginning of a firefight, but the people in the middle must to able to think and adapt to the fight as it goes. I don't think long hair would make a person or leader think any less in battle.

[Joe G]

Hmmm reading the title....at first, I thought this was about Custer!!! j/k j/k....

[**jdazmum**]

hahahaha, goot one!

[injunboy]

whenever me and the boys deployed quickly the hair got shaved... cause its just easier. if for some reason we had a chick her hair woulda came off too.

[Annie Fawn]

It seems to me that long hair could be grabbed used to hold a person if you were in hand to hand combat. If you join the miltary, you should be prepared to follow the rules.