Most people don’t realize the consequence for a large majority of blacks who attempt to comply with these regulations ruling out cornrows or braiding. Attempting to ‘straighten’ the African American curly hair is far less natural and time consuming than keeping it short in either cornrows or short braids.
It additionally requires extensive chemical treatment with risks of going bald in either case.
For black women in the military, the cornrows or short braids is an appropriate military hair style. For black men, the cornrows also is appropriate, just as appropriate as a flat top or a burr haircut.
To regulate out these styles is equivalent to mandating all military men must have micro curly hair, which would take white males an equally long and artificial effort to achieve in order to comply with such a regulation.
IMHO, too many regulators confuse those who seek these methods as being rebellious to grooming standards, but fail to understand or simply ignore the racial differences which effect the methods of grooming and field hygiene.
If is not a combat impediment or a hygiene concern, then leave the troops alone. If it is an appearance concern, that is, it makes the individual soldier look less than well-regulated and a detriment to good order and discipline, then that would be an extreme appearance that would not fit both naturally and neatly beneath any of the military’s head coverings.