about to enlist? read ziss!
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Category: Hair Talk
Forum Name: Hair Politics
Forum Description: The politics of Hair is a slippery slope...
URL: https://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=8721
Printed Date: April 24 2025 at 2:50am
Topic: about to enlist? read ziss!
Posted By: duke
Subject: about to enlist? read ziss!
Date Posted: March 05 2002 at 11:47am
A couple of months ago, there was a lively discussion regarding hair in the military, with such
questions as may women wear long hair or not etc. This post is not intended to be another debate
about should the military lighten up and allow everyone to wear anything they want (if you want
to contribute to that discussion, go down to the subject "navy question" and continue the debate) -
I just want to be a source of some badly needed information. There seem to be some factoids and
generalizations perhaps on this issue and people should be informed before enlisting to know what
to expect, so there are no surprises. I did some research and found that generally in the US and
Canada, men must have short barbered hair in the military but women can have theirs long if they
put it up tight. This doesn`t have to mean a "high and tight"/buzz/crew cut for men any more, just
an average short haircut, BUT this applies only to regular service. The following exceptions apply:
-I think the marines still expect short high and tight hair, and this may apply to other special units
as well.
-WARNING: the rules in boot camp may still be as they were in the good ol` days. I asked on another
forum what happened in basic training in the Canadian Armed Forces and was told that for that
occasion, all males are shorn down in a "zero cut". After that you can have a longer haircut and it
doesn`t have to have tapering in back but a "line" apparently. Mustaches are allowed (but not in
basic, bawl!) but for a beard you need permission which will not likely be granted, except maybe in
the navy. But for boot camp, guys, get ready to be clipped!
-The rules may be similar in U.S. boot camps. Something I read on an earlier post suggests that women
in the U.S. army must have hair no longer than collar length at boot camp. That may have changed.
-Beware: rules will likely exist if you join a police force. Many require you to shave the beard, for
example, and might expect you to have short hair if you`re a guy. As a matter of fact, police
academy seems to sometimes have a boot camp mentality. This may be especially true for state
police forces which are real "tough". Take the example of the California Highway Patrol, a renowned
US law enforcement agency (in high school, when I wanted to be a cop, I really looked up to them).
Go on their website <> and you`ll see what I mean. While there are pictures of
regular officers with sideburns or mustaches, (but not beards or in men, long hair), it seems to be
stricter in the academy. You are required to show up in business attire, regardless of the fact that
you`ll be issued a uniform anyway - talk about discipline! and men must be shaven clean and have
short - but not shaved - hair. But that doesn`t seem to be the end of it - the academy pictures from
begining to graduation show more or less all men with marine-style high and tight haircuts - they must
be shorn down as in boot camp!
Bottom line: before you join any military or police unit, do thorough research to know what to expect
1) at boot camp
2) after boot camp
so you don`t get an ugly surprise!
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Replies:
Posted By: loveshorthair
Date Posted: March 05 2002 at 2:36pm
From the people I have known...Basic training is where you will have no hair (guys) and above collar length for girls (pretty sure on this one). After, the rules do slack a bit but not much until you get higher in the ranks.
Also, I believe that many have to go back through a "refresher" course of Basic after so much time. Does anyone know of this and if so do the no hair rule still apply?
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Posted By: Highland Colonel
Date Posted: March 21 2002 at 6:38pm
Yes, you must always be careful when going into a military-style organization to know
what you can expect. Many equate esprit-de-corps with such rigid norms unfortunately.
Colonel John Doe
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Posted By: Tara
Date Posted: April 05 2002 at 11:15pm
I guess when you are trying to get everyone on the same page it makes sense that you strip their individual identity but it is still distressing to me that they do make everyone cut their hair so short.
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Posted By: Highland Colonel
Date Posted: April 06 2002 at 12:59pm
If we restrict identity stripping to one precise uniform and no jewelry except for religious items and
wedding bands, say, I believe that no wars will be lost if everyone is allowed, even in basic training,
to wear their hair any length they want to. I would approve of the status quo only in some very
elite units, such as the marines and the Navy Seals, and as long as you can not get drafted into
those units.
Colonel John Doe
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