Pentagon Enforces Clean-Shaven Grooming Standards

Military medical officers must provide a written recommendation for a waiver to the clean-shaven standard for those seeking an exemption.
Pentagon Enforces Clean-Shaven Grooming Standards
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks during a ceremony to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2025. Evan Vucci /AP Photo
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The Pentagon on Sept. 15 unveiled grooming standards for facial hair, ordering military personnel to be clean-shaven and requiring that those granted a medical exemption be on a treatment plan.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth “recently directed the Services to implement ... grooming standards for facial hair” following the rapid force-wide review of military standards.