Quote:
Originally Posted by Brucebubs
Interesting reading ... can you guys not have a beard in the US Navy?
It's allowed here in Australia and I think UK too.
I believe you have to ask permission to grow one and if it's not up to a good presentable appearance in a certain time limit then you're told no ... shave it off!
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From USNI.org
The beard ban was introduced in 1985. Out of a 247-year naval history, 37 years have been beardless.
As a US Sailor, I grew mine the week my son was born in 1982. When they were banned in '85, a bunch of us got together at a party to shave half off for inebriated mug shots, most of us keeping the 'stache. After that, I absolutely
HATED shaving my chin daily until I retired 12 years later, and I let it grow weekends and on leave.
Just before pulling the Navy plug, I found a trifling, forgettable pipsqueak of a Lieutenant Commander studying a snapshot under the plexi on my desk (GF and me laughing with friends on a whitewater rafting trip). He was well-known in the squadron for visiting spiteful, petty revenge upon those he outranked - probably bullied as a child. He
ordered me to remove the picture because I had a nice dark brown two-week beard going. LOL.
Anyhow, I can tell you exactly what date/time I last scraped my chin with a razor blade. It was over a quarter-century ago, and I became a civilian 4 hours later. I don't mind shaving my cheeks and neck (takes 45 seconds in a hot shower), and it's super-easy to keep a neatly trimmed goatee/moustache with a #2 guard on electric clippers. Just no chin or upper lip.
Friends/family all like it. Besides, the gray tends to impart a hint of wisdom (which I may or may not actually possess).