Posted on 05/07/2021 3:23:02 PM PDT by PROCON
The Army is going to allow women to wear ponytails in all uniforms, just months after revising its hair and grooming standards to allow ponytails and long braids in some instances.
Women will be authorized to wear ponytails “in all authorized U.S. Army uniforms,” the service announced on Thursday. The length of the ponytails cannot extend past the bottom of the shoulder blades; there is no minimum length requirement, and the ponytail or braid must be worn down the center of the back. This change will go into effect immediately upon the publishing of the official guidance, which is expected to happen on Thursday.
The new update follows a regulation overhaul announced in January, which authorized women to wear long ponytails “in utility uniforms when conducting physical training, or wearing tactical equipment.” It also authorized earrings for women in combat uniforms and “professional” lipstick and nail polish. The changes originally said the ponytail had to be tucked into the back of the soldier’s uniform, but Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston tweeted on Thursday stating that will no longer be a requirement.
“It’s important that we all understand and enforce standards equally,” Grinston said on Thursday. “I trust our Leaders to know what right looks like and ensure these changes are administered fairly.”
A review panel, which was made up of representatives throughout the Army, voted on the changes announced earlier this year, but did not originally vote to allow ponytails in all uniforms. Grinston said in March that they “asked if they could reconsider their decision” after hearing from soldiers.
The new regulations were a huge win for women who have said the formerly-required bun got in the way of equipment like helmets, and made it difficult to perform their jobs.
Sgt. Maj. Brian Sanders, the sergeant major of the Army’s uniform policy branch, said in January that women who have tried the ponytails in uniform have told him “it does allow the functionality, it gives a better range of motion when they’re swiveling their head, conducting operations, and that’s what we want.”
One female Apache pilot, Capt. Alexis Thorne, previously told Task & Purpose at Fort Stewart, Georgia, that she’s in a helmet “the majority of my job when I’m flying,” and that “being able to do my job and not have my hair interfere with it is fantastic.”
The changes also stemmed from concerns over how the hair requirements were impacting soldiers’ health and causing hair loss or preventing hair growth, and were meant to improve diversity and inclusion efforts in the service.
“This is about listening to our soldiers, taking what they’re saying and then how can we incorporate that into the Army … This isn’t about male and female standards,” Grinston said in January. “This is about Army standards.”
You’ve got weapons to clean and boots to shine!
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I see you admit to neglecting to polish your brass - shame!
Well the Special Transgender Forces Unit (STFU) I’m sure will be pleased.
Ponytail Thursdays will be fun along with tuck-it Tuesdays.
Enemy soldiers overwhelmingly approve!
Handling captives will be lots more fun...
Easier to take them down, or drag them cave man style. What morons. You don’t make yourself more vulnerable to the enemy.
Retired Correctional Sergeant. Dress code said your hair shouldn't be touching your uniform collar. That was the rule for male and female. No jewelry of any kind, especially earrings since they were an easy target for convicts to grab. Then there was the personal grooming. No beards because of gas masks, and Scott Air Packs. Before I retired in 2003, New York State relaxed the beard requirement. I never had to worry about that since I am a female.
The Air Force has adopted the same standards now, and honestly, I think it looks cute. No problem.
If women are good enough to serve side-by-side with men in combat arms, then they’re good enough to abide by the same standards.
What’s the problem?
Then go get your hair cut and lose the nails and makeup.
Women in combat rollers.
Who needs bloody hard earned wisdom of the ages.
Actually no. The words “Corn Row” and “Mohawk” were banned from further use by the same order allowing ponytails. Both words were deemed offensive.
Nayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
I don’t know alot about the military and stuff, but I can properly identify the gender of every person in these pictures.
I bet some of you can even identify all the guns
https://web.archive.org/web/20040805090448/http://www.sportshooter.com/events/swedishbikinis3.htm
(there are pages 1-7 but some are not archived)
I thought you said there were guns, I didn’t see any guns. 😎
You wouldn't be the first.
>...“professional” lipstick and nail polish.
I wonder what “profession” they’re talking about.
That will make for cute soldierettes.
Ping.
Why does the woke military even call them “females”??
I think women in the military should be required to shave their heads like the men do.
It was a privilege. And I was more of a “land guy” compared to folks like Procon and Frank Costanza.
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