when did they start shearing servicemen?

When did they start introducing butchy haircuts (crew, buzz, brush, high-and-tight) as regulation for military personnel? In many countries, this is not rare. If you look at pictures from WWII, soldiers from Britain, the US and Canada have short hair, but so do almost all civillian men, too. The soldiers have NEAT HAIRCUTS, not some shorn job. Marines today seem to almost always have some shaven, high-and-tight or similar cut, yet old images suggest this was not always the case.

Actually, I'm not sure if they really have to wear their hair so short. Yes, hair (in both Canada and the United States) is shorn on induction to boot camp, but later, in Canada at least, you can have a fair haircut so long as it's short. I think British personnel, including marines, can also have normal haircuts (though I don't know if that applies to basic). Does anyone know what the rules are in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, respectively? If a Marine private wanted a normal haircut instead of a shorn high-and-tight, would he be allowed to wear one once he left boot camp (where they're shaven down to the scalp, reportedly, then allowed to grow a high-and-tight for graduation)? What about the other services?

When did they start shearing new inductees?

I vaguely remember reading this, but I believe it was around WWI for hygene reasons. After that it sort of became standard. And, as Hal said, it's now part of the "break them down to build them up" philosophy.

JF

Thanks Hawg. Some of those regs sure are thought provoking:

"Male personnel are prohibited from utilizing umbrellas while in uniform" - WHUT?

"The (women's) hair shall be neatly shaped and arranged in an attractive feminine style." (I guess that FEMALE marines may not have a high-and-tight- cut even if they wanted to! I wonder where they draw the line for how short women may cut their hair!

"No eccentricities in the manner of wearing the head hair or mustache will be permitted."

The women are prohibited from having "eccentric" hairstyles, makeup, finger nail polish, etc. Who determines that is the next senior person in that female's chain of command; generally/usually/always the first "female" in their chain of command as males will not normally make the confrontation for fear of sexual harrassment charges.

I have seen female Marines with very short hair; in fact, I used to have a sergeant that worked for me that used to accompany me to the barbershop. When she first started working for me, she wore a longish pixie (three to four inches long but not below her collar). When Spring came, she showed up after a long holiday weekend with a much shorter version; her Mother had given her the haircut; it was about an inch to an inch and a half long on top and a little shorter in the back and on the sides. Her hair seemed to grow faster than a half inch a month and about three/four weeks later, I was in need of my weekly haircut so I told her where I was going as I left the office and casually mentioned that she could use one too as she was getting somewhat shaggy. I asked her if she would like to come along with me and let Regina give her a trim. She agreed almost immediately. When we got to the barbershop, I offered to let her go first but she said for me to go ahead. I sat down for "the usual" and we started talking about my sergeant and how she had tagged along with me because she needed a trim. Soon, I was finished and my sergeant and I traded places. She explained to Regina what she wanted and soon hair was flying. She ended up with this haircut

http://www.haircuts.ru/foto/pixie/pixie001.jpg

except it was tapered more in the back and on the sides; it was a regulation haircut for a male Marine. I thought she looked great. I had some people comment to me that they thought her hair was too short but I dismissed these comments stating that she was well within regulations and that it looked very good on her.

I have seen everything from undercuts and feminine flattops to butt skimming hair on females in the Marine Corps.

I've seen websites before that were very critical of the fact women in the military are allowed long hair when men aren't. The sites reasoned that, if the men's cuts were done for hygiene reasons and to help prevent lice, the women should be held to the same regulations. I thought that was a good point.
The rule that says women's hair should be in an attractive, feminine style sounds very contradictory to the fact it's military service, anyway, doesn't it? I mean, the women are there to be soldiers, not fashion plates. Why would it be necessary for them to try to look "attractive and feminine"?