Amidst the ongoing war between the US and Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth embarked on a Navy ship for what was intended to be a standard visit with sailors.
However, the visit was overshadowed by the presence of facial hair: Hegseth observed several sailors with beards, seemingly breaching a more stringent policy he had implemented last year that limits beards in most cases, CNN reported, citing defense official and emails that referenced the defense secretary’s calls for action to be taken.
Hegseth departed the ship contemplating whether the personnel at the Pentagon were attentive to his beard policy and the various policy modifications he has implemented within the workforce, according to a CNN report.
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Pete Hegseth’s beard policy uproar
After his visit in June, officials at the Pentagon conducted a series of meetings where they informed their subordinates that Hegseth was diligently observing the agencies’ advancements regarding the beard policy and other workplace adjustments, and that there was significant pressure from political appointees to expedite the implementation of these directives.
A Pentagon official, who had specialization in civilian personnel policy, informed colleagues via email in June, stating, the SecWar is closely monitoring the advancements of the EEO [Equal Employment Opportunity] reforms. “In fact, the push is to move faster … there is a need to revamp some of our timelines.”
This incident illustrates Hegseth’s strong emphasis on personnel policies, particularly those intertwined with cultural conflicts, even as the US military engages in operations ranging from Iran to the Caribbean. The 46-year-old veteran of the Iraq war has also introduced Christian prayer services at the Pentagon and has threatened to sever connections with Scouting America due to its “woke” policies.
According to the Pentagon, he “visited the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego in June and the USS Boxer in Singapore in May.”
Pentagon speaks about Pete Hegseth’s facial hair policy
In response to a request for comment, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told CNN: Hegseth “maintains the highest expectations for our service members to uphold the professional standards of appearance, fitness, and discipline that define our warfighting force, and he continues to emphasize consistent enforcement of hair, weight, and grooming standards across all ranks.”
Parnell added that commanders will be held responsible for achieving results as the Department strives to reestablish a culture of excellence and readiness.
In September, he released a memo that imposed stricter regulations on beards and the approval of medical exemptions for their growth, overturning years of established policy. “No more beardos,” Hegseth declared during a speech to hundreds of senior military officials. “The era of rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles is done,” he added.
