Veterans See Costs and Risks in Hegseth’s Military Rewind to 1990

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has identified real problems, veteran officers say, but by looking back 35 years for policy cues, he risks hurting, not helping, military readiness.

A ban on beards. A focus on physical fitness, and more protections for unapologetically aggressive leaders. In an unusual speech in front of hundreds of generals and admirals, and in a flurry of memorandums afterward, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined his vision of a tougher and more disciplined military, without what he called “woke garbage” getting in the way.

But former military officers took issue with Mr. Hegseth’s list of policy changes, saying that some of them seemed redundant and others threatened to undermine his goals of increased readiness and lethality.

The secretary focused heavily on personnel matters. In are mandatory shaving, more harrowing basic training and daily physical training for everyone. Out are requirements that protect whistle-blowers from retribution and rules that require formally reviewing past misconduct when screening leaders for promotion.

Don Christensen, a retired Air Force colonel and former military lawyer who watched the speech, said it seemed “disconnected from reality.”

“The big issues in the military are not with beards and people being out of shape and rampant D.E.I.,” said Mr. Christensen, who after retiring from the military led Protect Our Defenders, a group that protects whistle-blowers.

Mr. Hegseth urged the assembled generals and admirals to apply what he called the “1990 rule,” and scrutinize any changes to training or standards that were made in the last 35 years. “1990 seems to be as good a place to start as any,” Mr. Hegseth told his audience.

It was also the last year before laws that excluded women from combat roles were changed, starting a long process that has led to women serving in nearly every part of the armed forces,...

Rewind to 1990s? Rewind to 1970 for the Navy.

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/z/list-z-grams/z-gram-57.html

Z-Gram #57; 10 November 1970
Elimination of Demeaning or Abrasive Regulations
FROM: CNO {Z-57} TO: NAVOP UNCLAS //NO1100// 102157Z NOV 70
DEMEANING OR ABRASIVE REGULATIONS, ELIMINATION OF
1. THOSE DEMEANING OR ABRASIVE REGULATIONS GENERALLY REFERRED TO IN THE FLEET AS "MICKEY MOUSE" OR "CHICKEN" REGS HAVE, IN MY JUDGMENT DONE ALMOST AS MUCH TO CAUSE DISSATISFACTION AMONG OUR PERSONNEL AS HAVE EXTENDED FAMILY SEPARATION AND LOW PAY SCALES. FOR THIS REASON, SHORTLY AFTER TAKING COMMAND I REQUESTED A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF CURRENT NAVAL POLICIES AND REGULATIONS. I DESIRE TO ELIMINATE MANY OF THE MOST ABRASIVE POLICIES, STANDARDIZE OTHERS WHICH ARE INCONSISTENTLY ENFORCED, AND PROVIDE SOME GENERAL GUIDANCE WHICH REFLECTS MY CONVICTION THAT IF WE ARE TO PLACE THE IMPORTANCE AND RESPONSIBILITY OF "THE PERSON" IN PROPER PERSPECTIVE IN THE MORE EFFICIENT NAVY WE ARE SEEKING, THE WORTH AND PERSONAL DIGNITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL MUST BE FORCEFULLY REAFFIRMED. THE POLICY CHANGES BELOW ARE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AND WILL BE AMPLIFIED BY MORE DETAILED IMPLEMENTING DIRECTIVES TO BE ISSUED SEPARATELY.
A. IT APPEARS THAT MY PREDECESSOR'S GUIDANCE IN MAY ON THE SUBJECT OF HAIRCUTS, BEARDS AND SIDEBURNS IS INSUFFICIENTLY UNDERSTOOD AND, FOR THIS REASON, I WANT TO RESTATE WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE EXPLICIT: IN THE CASE OF HAIRCUTS, SIDEBURNS, AND CONTEMPORARY CLOTHING STYLES, MY VIEW IS THAT WE MUST LEARN TO ADAPT TO CHANGING FASHIONS. I WILL NOT COUNTENANCE THE RIGHTS OR PRIVILEGES OF ANY OFFICERS OR ENLISTED MEN BEING ABROGATED IN ANY WAY BECAUSE THEY CHOOSE TO GROW SIDEBURNS OR NEATLY TRIMMED BEARDS OR MOUSTACHES OR BECAUSE PREFERENCES IN NEAT CLOTHING STYLES ARE AT VARIANCE WITH THE TASTE OF THEIR SENIORS NOR WILL I COUNTENANCE ANY PERSONNEL BEING IN ANY WAY PENALIZED DURING THE TIME THEY ARE GROWING BEARDS, MOUSTACHES, OR SIDEBURNS
[...]

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/z/list-z-grams/z-gram-70.html

Z-Gram #70; dated 21 January 1971
Grooming and Uniform Policy
A. HAIR GROOMING: THE NAVY DOES NOT PRESCRIBE NOR DISTINGUISH AMONG STYLES OF HAIRCUTS. A WIDE VARIETY OF HAIR STYLES, IF MAINTAINED IN A NEAT MANNER, IS ACCEPTABLE. THE DETERMINATION OF HAIR STYLES, WITHIN THE CRITERIA DETAILED BELOW, IS AN INDIVIDUAL DECISION.
(1) HAIR WILL BE NEAT, CLEAN, TRIMMED, AND PRESENT A GROOMED APPEARANCE. HAIR WILL NOT TOUCH THE COLLAR EXCEPT FOR THE CLOSELY CUT HAIR AT THE BACK OF THE NECK AND THAT WILL PRESENT A TAPERED APPEARANCE. HAIR IN THE FRONT WILL BE GROOMED SO THAT IT DOES NOT FALL BELOW THE EYEBROWS WHEN A PERSON IS UNCOVERED AND IT WILL NOT BUSH OUT BELOW THE BAND OF PROPERLY WORN HEADGEAR. IN NO CASE SHALL THE BULK OR LENGTH OF HAIR INTERFERE WITH THE PROPER WEARING OF ANY MILITARY HEADGEAR. THE EXACT MAXIMUM LENGTH OF THE HAIR IS NO LONGER SPECIFIED.
(2) IF AN INDIVIDUAL CHOOSES TO WEAR SIDEBURNS, THEY WILL BE NEATLY TRIMMED. SIDEBURNS WILL NOT EXTEND BELOW THE BOTTOM OF THE EARLOBE, WILL BE OF EVEN WIDTH (NOT FLARED), AND WILL END WITH A CLEAN-SHAVEN HORIZONTAL LINE.
(3) IF A BEARD OR MOUSTACHE IS WORN, IT SHALL BE WELL GROOMED AND NEATLY TRIMMED IN ORDER NOT TO CONTRIBUTE TO A RAGGED APPEARANCE. THIS POLICY AUTHORIZES AND INCLUDES FULL AND PARTIAL BEARDS, VAN DYKES, AND GOATEES.
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