Additional Coverage:
- Hegseth caught begging to keep facial hair in resurfaced clip after ordering for ‘fat’ generals to shave (irishstar.com)
Defense Secretary Hegseth Bans Beards, Declares “Era of Unprofessional Appearance is Over”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has issued a sweeping new directive, banning most military personnel from sporting beards and long hair, asserting that the “era of unprofessional appearance is over.”
The announcement came during a highly anticipated, secretive gathering of 800 U.S. military leaders from around the world at the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Virginia, this Tuesday. Hegseth, who refers to himself as the “Secretary of War,” used the platform to outline his vision for a more disciplined and uniform military.
In a fiery address, Hegseth declared an immediate end to “beardos” and long hair among service members. He offered a stark choice for those wishing to maintain facial hair: “If you want a beard, you can join special forces.
If not, then shave.” The former TV presenter explained his updated grooming standards as a move to eliminate “superficial individual expression,” drawing a parallel to the “broken windows theory of policing.”
He stated, “If you let the small stuff go, the big stuff eventually goes so you have to address the small stuff.”
Hegseth did not mince words when criticizing past leadership, calling their standards on facial hair “unacceptable.” He remarked, “We don’t have a military of Nordic Pagans, but unfortunately, we’ve had leaders who either refused to call B.S. and enforce standards, or leaders who felt like they were not allowed to enforce standards. Both are unacceptable.”
The new directive carries a notable layer of irony, considering Hegseth’s own past. The former Fox & Friends presenter reportedly once had a beard and long hair, and, according to prior reports, even pleaded with his former bosses to keep it.
In late August 2018, Hegseth returned to the Fox & Friends set with a “vacation beard,” which was subsequently shaved off during a televised segment. A clip from the show depicted a bearded Hegseth in a barber’s chair with shaving foam on his face, his co-hosts joking about the necessity of its removal.
In the segment, a male co-host admitted to annually asking network executives if he could keep his own vacation beard, only to be denied, to which Hegseth replied, “I know, right?” He even expressed hopes of keeping a mustache at the time.
Beyond grooming, Hegseth’s speech delved into broader issues of military appearance and physical fitness. Referring to himself in the third person, he challenged the troops, stating, “If the Secretary of War can do regular hard PT, so can every member of our joint force.
Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations or really any formation and see fat troops.” He extended his critique to higher ranks, deeming it “a bad look” to see “fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon.”
To address this, he announced that all flag officers would now be required to meet height-and-weight requirements and pass an annual fitness test, supplemented by daily unit or individual workouts.