US Navy- Beards?

[Expat]

A hairy issue: Sailors tell the US Navy, 'We want beards'

The Navy said last week that servicewomen could sport ponytails, lock hairstyles, or ropelike strands, and wider hair buns, reversing a policy that long forbade females from letting their hair down.Servicemen immediately chimed in on social media, asking the Navy if they could grow beards.
A sailor's Facebook post with a #WeWantBeards hashtag was shared thousands of times.

The ladies got ponytails so the men demand beards...

 

[HoughMade]

From what I understand, guys in the Navy have had beards from the beginning. They stay back at port maintaining appearances.

 

[quicksdraw]

I would be glad to see the new generation of squids get beards. We had 'em when I was in, back in the early and mid 70's. Contrary to later claims by the navy, none of us(that I know of) ever had any problem with our gas masks or Fire fighting gear while wearing whiskers.

 

[teddy12b]

I don't see why the Navy couldn't have beards, especially if it's reasonably maintained. I don't think they'll allow full Duck Commander types of beards, but who cares. The main reason for no beards as I understood it in the Army was so that our gas masks would fit. I've had to put mine on enough times I was more than happy to have had a clean shave. I always thought the Navy ships had some sort of locked down airtight type of system against NBC attacks so a beard one way or the other isn't really going to effect anything besides them getting one more patch of hair to tug on while they're blaring YMCA while out to sea. Just my two cents.

 

[patience0830]

Not so the mask would fit. So the mask would seal. That's a real concern with nerve gas.

 

[KellyinAvon]

Not so the mask would fit. So the mask would seal. That's a real concern with nerve gas.

If the mask doesn't seal you're fogged up like crazy and will probably fall off the boat. Need that seal, hand over the intake and breath in. If the mask collapses in you got a seal.

To be honest I'd have settled for a mustache that didn't look like everyone was sporting a hitler. Robin Olds got it right with the stache.

 

[breakingcontact]

I guess they could use the time spent shaving to practice actual sailor duties.