By: Hansel Rayner, PA-C

Introduction

Military culture has long celebrated the beard. From General Ulysses S. Grant, whose stoic leadership helped preserve the Union, to Chesty Puller, the embodiment of Marine grit, facial hair has often been seen as a symbol of martial prowess and rugged command. In many eras, the beard was more than style —it was identity .

Up until the 1990s, chemical warfare was considered an expected threat. Cold War doctrine, NBC training, and battlefield planning all assumed that chemical agents—from blistering mustard gas to nerve agents—could be deployed by near-peer adversaries or rogue states. Troops trained accordingly : clean-shaven faces, daily seal checks, and banana oil testing were standard survivability protocols.

During th

See Full Page