U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is targeting beards and facial hair in the military to establish a new "grooming standard," as the Pentagon announced Monday that leadership will be required to conduct a review of how service member grooming practices have changed over the past decade.
The "rapid force-wide review of military standards," requested by Hegseth, according to a Pentagon statement issued Monday, includes "grooming standards for facial hair."
"The grooming standard set by the U.S. military is to be clean shaven and neat in presentation for a proper military appearance," Hegseth said, according to the statement by Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.
"Commanders must apply consistent criteria and appropriately consider the department's interests in safety and uniformit