Washington DC: The United States military is under intense criticism after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth unveiled a new grooming policy that effectively prohibits most service members from keeping beards, allowing exemptions only for select special forces personnel.
During a speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, Hegseth stated, “If you want a beard, join special forces. If not, shave. We don’t have a military full of Nordic pagans.” He criticized what he termed “rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles,” referring to medical and religious waivers that permitted facial hair for health or faith reasons.
The policy reverses years of progress toward accommodating religious and medical needs, limiting eligibility for beards to non-deployable roles with minimal exposure to chemical or fire hazards.
The Sikh Coalition, a prominent advocacy group for Sikhs in the US military, expressed strong concerns, warning that the rule threatens religious freedoms for Sikhs, Orthodox Jews, and Muslims who maintain facial hair as part of their faith. “At this time, we are on high alert,” the coalition stated, noting that the rule could force devout service members to choose between their beliefs and military careers.
“For Sikh soldiers, shaving or cutting their beard is like cutting off a limb,” said Marissa Rossetti, senior staff attorney at the Sikh Coalition.
Hegseth’s address, delivered before over 800 top military officials, also condemned personal expression such as beards and long hair, claiming that eliminating them would restore “lethality” and discipline. However, civil rights groups, veterans, and religious freedom advocates have denounced the move as discriminatory and a setback for religious rights in the armed forces.
