Sailors rejoiced last year when then-Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti announced that they could finally put their hands in their pockets while in uniform. But those days might be over.
Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James W. Kilby told reporters on Monday that a Defense Department review into uniform and grooming standards will include a look at whether sailors should still be allowed to put their hands into their pockets while in uniform.
“I haven’t changed that policy, but I know we’re looking – because of the Department of Defense – all our grooming standards are under review now – all the changes we’ve made since 2015,” Kilby said during the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space conference. “So, to me, that’s all on the table. We want a professional force, we want to be ready, and we’ll follow the direction of the administration.”
The Pentagon-wide review, launched by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth last month orders each service to revisit changes made to physical fitness, body composition, and grooming standards over the past 10 years. The review is expected to closely examine waivers and exceptions to standards granted for facial hair, among other topics.
The Navy’s grooming standards fall under the service’s uniform regulations, and that could explain why changes to the uniform policy would also fall under the standards review, which is being conducted by the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.
“High standards are what made the United States military the greatest fighting force on the planet,” Hegseth wrote in a March 12 memo. “The strength of our military is our unity and our shared purpose. We are made stronger and more disciplined with high, uncompromising, and clear standards.”
The memo was issued about two months after the Air Force announced it would conduct more formations and uniform inspections and review policies and standards that look at ”waivers and the exceptions.”
It is worth noting that Hegseth also wrote in his March 12 memo the review of grooming standards “includes but is not limited to beards.”
Beards have long been a contentious issue for the rank and file. U.S. military officials have long argued that facial hair prevents troops from having a perfect seal on the gas and oxygen masks. The Marine Corps has also recently required that all Marines with medical waivers for shaving must be reevaluated by a medical professional.
When asked on Monday if there was any more information available on whether sailors could wear beards, Kilby replied, “I do not have an update for you.”
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