Hegseth targets beards, facial hair with military 'grooming standard'
by Sheri Walsh
Washington DC (UPI) Sep 15, 2025

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is targeting beards and facial hair in the military to establish a new "grooming standard," as the Pentagon announced Monday that leadership will be required to conduct a review of how service member grooming practices have changed over the past decade.

The "rapid force-wide review of military standards," requested by Hegseth, according to a Pentagon statement issued Monday, includes "grooming standards for facial hair."

"The grooming standard set by the U.S. military is to be clean shaven and neat in presentation for a proper military appearance," Hegseth said, according to the statement by Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.

"Commanders must apply consistent criteria and appropriately consider the department's interests in safety and uniformity when authorizing individual exceptions," Parnell added.

According to Hegseth, shaving waivers will be allowed under a written recommendation by military medical officers, as long as there is a treatment plan. Hegseth also said service members who require a shaving waiver after more than one year of medical treatment will be considered for "separation."

"As I stated when directing the Rapid Force-Wide Review of Military Standards, the strength of the military is our unity and our shared purpose," said Hegseth. "The department must remain vigilant in maintaining the grooming standards which underpin the warrior ethos."

Both President Donald Trump and Hegseth used the term "warrior ethos" earlier this month when renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War.

"Words matter. Restoring ... the warrior ethos. Restoring victory and clarity as an instinct," Hegseth said Sept. 5, as Trump signed the executive order. A permanent department name change will require Congress to act.

In addition to grooming, Hegseth's new requirements extend to body composition and physical fitness.

"We must remain vigilant in maintaining the standards that enable the men and women of our military to protect the American people and our homeland as the world's most lethal and effective fighting force," Hegseth wrote. "Our adversaries are not growing weaker, and our tasks are not growing less challenging."

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