Beards in the military - now including the Army. You think allowing beards will somehow make our military less effective? That's absurd! What does facial hair have to do with being able to accomplish the mission and defeat the enemy? Absolutely nothing! It's a baseless argument based on outdated traditions rather than actual evidence. Look at the elite special forces units around the world - many of them permit beards and they are some of the most effective and lethal fighting forces. The Navy SEALs, the British SAS, Russian Spetsnaz - you think they're anything less than terrifyingly capable just because they have facial hair? Of course not. Moustaches, beards, goatees - they don't hamper the ability to operate machinery, fire weapons accurately, obey orders, or endure hardship. All they do is give the individual soldier a way to express themselves within reasonable grooming standards. Unless you can provide data that definitively shows allowing beards reduces operational readiness and combat performance, this argument is nothing more than an appeal to an arbitrary tradition. Let's make decisions based on facts and effectiveness - not irrational prejudice against facial hair. That's just plain silly in the 21st century military.
Mark Waring
9mo
That picture is of an 1850s Crimean War soldier, and the Army suffered terribly from sickness and poor admin in the field discipline during that war. Learning these lessons, all British soldiers washed and shaved in the trenches of WW1, WW2 and Korea, and during the Cold War. My 90 x Cdo Gunners on the gun position during the Falklands War in 1982 were on there own and could have let standards slip - such as not shaving. But it was drummed into them that our greatest threat was from the freezing cold and wet conditions and maintaining hygene discipline was vital if we were to remain effective 24/7 indefinetely. Our Battlefield administration standards were vigorously maintained - standto, sleep, washing, shaving, cam cream, foot inspections, boiling water, toilet areas, repairing trenches and camouflage, cleaning weapons, and maintaining the guns. After 27 days in the mountains delivering brilliant fire support in appalling conditions, all 90 soldiers marched into Stanley fit and well. This is a basic lesson of warfare that has been learned through the ages. I would argue that breaking the shaving rule on operations may be a step towards eroding this essential element of soldiering.
Roland McKie
9mo
It is about standards and training in attention to detail because that attitude matters in war zones. What will be next? Letting them turn up for work when they feel like it? Working from home? I think western militaries are doomed because our societies have become laid back to the point of being horizontal. We are in our Fall of Rome era.
Andrew K.
9mo
Good grief, does anyone really have to point this out!! The reason beards were banned was so that our NBC respirators could get a complete seal. Just a quick FYI, that’s so that you shouldn’t inhail any bio or chemical weapon!!! With the threats the army faces today, and the kind of people in charge of those threats, if you can rule out the use of bio or chemical weapons, crack on have a nice neat beard, if you can’t then BAN them!! Whoever made this decision is in my view putting lives at more risk than necessary and clearly hasn’t got a clue about war fighting.
Russ Harding CBE
9mo
I have no problem with this but let’s be honest there is one thing that will effect fighting effectiveness …. Gas attack unless there is complete, rigid discipline in shaving off well before the threat grows. Something that in the Royal Navy is pushed from day one and during all operational sea training periods. And that’s in a service that usually fights from within a steel gas tight citadel.
Richard Luck As Dave Johnson rightly says, what about respirators? This isn't some 'new' argument, for the past 50 years or so, beards and facial hair has not been allowed because respirators cannot form an effective gas seal against the face? Has this issue now been completely resolved?
Jon Scott
9mo
Facial hair was stopped due to the requirement to get a gas/liquid tight seal on respirators.( gas masks). It was based on a very real requirement.
Terry Longstaff
9mo
I think the Army needs to increase its NBC training in the gas chamber, just to show how effective the new double sealed respirator is. Nothing can compensate for practical experience.
Tim P.
9mo
Richard Luck... the issue isn't the 'Beard' and these constant images of the 'British Army' from the yesteryear's... nore is it anything to do with CBRN and Respirators due to the direction of the policy ? 'Where operational requirements dictate, there maybe a requirement for their removal' The issue is, this Gentleman/Warrior isn't what the Grant Shapps/UK Ministry of Defence are looking for ? They are seeking the Military resemble and reflect today's society, so a demographic change is required across the board ? So let's not moan about Beards or Respirators ? And can I just add a little common sense element to the Matelot's and British Army's CBRN threats ? A HMS Ship with forced air being circulated around the vessel is a little different to CBRN on the Battlefield... only an observation, nothing more, nothing less... PEACE OUT 🙏🏼
Nick Schofield
9mo
Here here. I said the same. No correlation between beards and poor discipline. 🤙
Military Zig-Zag Career Advocate
9moFrom the excellent Sir Humphrey @pinstripedline