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WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Army has announced major revisions to Army Regulation 670-1, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia, which will include guidance on wearing the new Army Green Service Uniform and several other key changes. In addition, the Army is also revising its grooming standards to support its People First priority and diversity and inclusion efforts. She reports on important developments within the service, from new uniforms to new policies; the realities of military life facing soldiers and their families; and broader cultural issues that expand outside of the Army, touching each of the military services. The recommendations from last month included much of what was announced on Tuesday, such as allowing women to wear multiple hairstyles at once and removing the minimum hair length for women so they can choose if they want to have hair or not.
Tattoo Policy
The new regulations were a huge win for women who have said the formerly-required bun got in the way of equipment like helmets, and made it difficult to perform their jobs. A soldier’s medical exemption to the Army’s beard policy must specify the maximum length of the beard. Soldiers can not use medical exemptions to grow shaped beard styles like goatees and handlebar mustaches.
Army Buzz Cut
The recommendations were identified after a July directive from then-Secretary of Defense Mark Esper which ordered a review of hairstyle and grooming policies for racial bias. Teresa Tennyson is a retired army officer who served in several countries in the Middle East. As an Arabic lingual and cultural specialist, her assignments included combat deployments and a diplomatic tour. Veterans with wartime service who were honorably discharged can also wear uniforms, according to Paragraph 23-4 of AR 670-1. The regulations restrict ceremonial attire to service and dress uniforms only.
Updated Rules on Women’s Hair in the Army
AR 670-1: Army Leaders to Announce Hair Regulation Changes in 2021 - Task & Purpose
AR 670-1: Army Leaders to Announce Hair Regulation Changes in 2021.
Posted: Tue, 29 Dec 2020 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Panel findings determined that females attending Ranger, Special Forces, or Sapper training were often encouraged to cut their hair to abide by health and hygiene recommendations while training in an austere environment, Sanders said. The undercut is a less common Army haircut; it adheres to regulations involving a longer top section of hair, with the sides and back cut very short or shaven. The military crew cut haircut involves a slightly longer length on top that gradually tapers down to a shorter length on the sides and back. The updates reflect the Army’s commitment to fostering an environment that promotes and facilitates diversity, equity, and inclusion. Inclusive policies foster the ability to recruit and retain the top talent. Army uniforms embody the professionalism and commitment to the Army Values.
Key Points in Army Regulation 670-1
Hair regulations are meant to reinforce uniformity in the military, but many women — specifically Black women — have said that the stringent regulations don’t take into account different textures and lengths of hair. "Having grooming standards that show sensitivity to the cultural and ethnic diversity already present in our Army would go a long way." If wearing the APFU as a complete uniform, retirees must abide by the standards of AR 670-1, but they can add approved retired shoulder-sleeve insignia and identification badges. Soldiers with religious accommodations can grow their mustaches to connect with their beards, but they must trim or groom mustaches to keep them above upper lip lines.
The Army is planning a major overhaul of its hair and grooming regulations
Previous hair regulations disproportionately impacted soldiers with textured hair, including women of color. The changes originated from a panel of 17 Soldiers women and two men -- who assessed a list of proposed grooming and appearance modifications connected to the professional appearance, health and wellness, diversity, and inclusion of Soldiers. Soldiers will also be allowed to have a uniform hair color blend (also known as highlights) as long as it presents a natural appearance. However, purple, blue, pink, green, orange, bright red, fluorescent or neon colors, and some others will be prohibited.
The discussion about change comes amid an intense focus from service leaders on improving the Army culture and increasing diversity and inclusion within the force. Senior Army leaders are discussing making long-awaited changes to hair and grooming regulations and they plan to announce the finalized changes in January 2021, Task & Purpose has learned. In addition, the revised regulation will not contain potentially offensive language used to describe several hairstyles – for example, “Mohawk, eccentric, faddish, Fu Manchu, dreadlock” – which will be replaced with alternative verbiage. “In an effort to stop hair damage and loss stemming from hairstyles like the bun, the Army approved healthier hairstyle options that are more inclusive of various natural styles,” said Clark.
AR 670-1 Uniform Regulation
The Army also repealed its ban on “multiple hairstyles” so women can combine cornrows, twists, braids and locs. Female Soldiers will soon be authorized to wear earrings with their ACU. Earrings can either be screw-on, clip-on, or post-type earrings in gold, silver, or diamond and must be unadorned and spherical without exceeding 6 mm or 1/4 inch in diameter. "It doesn't necessarily have to be a color that is typically seen on a certain ethnic group. It just has to be a natural hair color" that presents a neat and professional image.
A wide-ranging set of changes to the uniform and grooming regulations is set to hit the Army, with many new details covering everything from ponytails to earring allowances. The issue of hair standards specifically was reignited on social media last week, with men and women alike calling for change and describing what they view as broken and antiquated policies that put unnecessary burdens on women who serve. The Army announced new official hair and grooming regulations on Jan. 26. Women are now also cleared to wear earrings — gold, silver, and diamond — in their combat uniform, a move which had never been done before, Sanders said.
And as for any soldiers — particularly former soldiers — who think these changes are just the Army’s effort to be “politically correct,” or want to talk about how the Army isn’t the same as when you were in? She sees all the changes to the regulation as proof of a positive and open dialogue between the leadership and the diversity of the Soldiers they represent. Andrews also feels pride that the catalyst for some of the change came from the National Guard. After speaking with Marine and Coast Guard women, she was advised to create a strong visual presentation.
The most significant changes are new regulations increasing the variety of acceptable hairstyles for female soldiers. According to the updated policy, extreme colors and nail shapes, such as a coffin, ballerina, and stiletto nails, are prohibited while in uniform or on duty in civilian clothes. Along with supporting a Soldier's identity, the Army approved the use of additional colors of lipstick and nail polish, including the wear of clear nail polish by male Soldiers. Females also have the option to wear an American manicure, a two-tone nail style that maintains a natural appearance. Female Soldiers with medium-length hair will have the option to wear a ponytail if the individual's hair length or texture prevents them from securing it into a tight bun, Sanders said.
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