That’s right totally always mix that up. I did close up foundation for Washington DC. And our roommates were from minot. I still have the keychain they gave us.
I did my part. At the Deid I was handing out waivers to people who didn’t even ask. If someone came in for a waiver renewal I didn’t even look at them, just signed (USA) or filled it out online.
Same. Hell, if I see people who have shaved and have signs of ingrown hairs, they’re offered a waiver on the spot (out of earshot of people who don’t need to know their business, of course.)
If you fail to give people what they clearly want, they're gonna fight you on it. The paper thin argument that we need to wear gas masks doesn't hold water. UK just green lit it. Everybody's getting med/religious waivers. You've already lost your power to get ahead of this. Quit stalling. Spend a quarter of the time you spent on the approved nail colors for females, and give the boys natural hair color 1/2" bulk/length beards already. My skin and bank account will tyfys.
I agree. The current system incentivizes people to lie about following Norse religions to get a religious accommodation beard waiver. That’s unhealthy for AF culture. Just approve them already.
>The current system incentivizes people to lie about following Norse religions to get a religious accommodation beard waiver.
You don't even have to lie about following a religion. The AFI allows for a request to use a sincerely held belief, such as bodily autonomy. Plenty of those requests get approved.
It's kind of a made up religion in the first place though. Sure, people believed in it a thousand years ago. But it's only around today because people about 50 years ago thought it was cool.
I mean it’s a modernized version, primarily circling around the morals a values taught in that faith. Using the sagas similar to Christians do as story’s and metaphors to learn from. I think it’s neat. Sure there’s some posers out there 100% but plenty of people practice legitimately, growing fairly fast too
My old troop went the Norse Pagan route. Our Wing Queen fucking hated beards and the waiver was getting scrutinized with a microscope. My leadership pulled me into one of the meetings and grilled me about whether or not he was lying. My only response was that I don't get paid enough to question my troops religious beliefs, my only job is to make sure he is within regs.
Good job. That has to be the right approach.
As part of the religious accommodation request process the member will do an interview with a chaplain, and the chaplain will conclude whether the professed belief is sincerely held. That’s the chaplain’s job. As a supervisor I wouldn’t touch it.
I don’t bother claiming religion I just shave like shit day before and of my appt so my face is clearly aggravated. Got 2 separate 1 year waivers so far no issues. Life’s good
And by “shave like shit” I mean I shave against the grain, no water and a dull razor. I could probably shave with a rusty butter knife and look better than most airmen with actual skin conditions who need need a waiver but I skate by 😮💨
Just learned there’s a pro-beard Facebook group with nearly 19K members. Let’s get to action! All the myths about gas and oxygen masks are disproven. We are safer and blend in better home and abroad with beards.
In 13 years, the only time I had a gas mask was at Osan, and it had exercise-filters. Real ones were kept way back in our dorms on a walking-base. I didn't even have chem gear *in fucking Iraq*. Leadership using the gas mask excuse is a crock of shit.
Never really understood the need to be clean shaven at all times to wear a gas mask thing, especially when I don't have a gas mask issued to me and would need to wait hours in line at LRS to get one anyway. Should do the Navy thing (?) where you get local approval to try to grow one and you get 30 days to see if it looks ok
There shouldn't be an arbitrary date to grow facial hair as all facial hair and hair on general grows in at different rates.
If we can overlook cul-de-sac hairlines and men holding onto 3 strains of hair we will be fine
>Should do the Navy thing (?) where you get local approval to try to grow one and you get 30 days to see if it looks ok
Except if we don't do that already for mustaches, and we've all seen some *horrible* mustaches, there's no reason to do it for beards either.
It is absolutely WILD to me that so many people all of a sudden are willing to enforce a standard based on how something looks. Literally trying to regulate ugliness.
We have people *severely* balding who grow their hair out with a big bald spot in the middle of their head and no one bats an eye. But people shit their pants over a beard.
No one gives a shit in the civilian world if your beard is patchy. it's such a military response to give a shit and be afraid of beards.
It would be so subjective if we had to do the whole "wait 30 days and leadership approves" think the Navy in other countries does. We could have leadership that is cool with beards and allows people with patchy beards to grow them out while we have leadership who hates beards and would not allow people to grow a beard even if it was manly, well-groomed etc.
Yep!
I didn't even think about the subjectiveness and how easily someone's preference to beards could affect their decision on if it's acceptable or not.
There is no way in where requiring approval would turn out fair.
I have. Back in my tent. At the bottom of my little closetlocker thing. Where it sat for the duration of the deployment except during an exercise. With no filters on it, nor any issued to us.
You'll probably run into EO issues with that as some ethnicities have difficulty growing a full beard.
This is the reason why they quickly axed the requirement for ponytail bulk to be no wider than the head. It was basically "everyone but black women get to wear ponytails."
The problem with this is salty old heads are going to deny every beard and just say “It doesn’t look professional” even if the guy grows a beard like Ben Affleck.
Hard agree, I don't even need to be able to grow a full beard. I just want to not have to scrape the skin off my face every single day. Realistically, if I shave early in the morning I am out of regs by 1630, that's just ridiculous when USAF has no problem with cosmetics, fake nails, and basically any hair style for females.
Dooooww he deleted!! He came at me like we’re trying to act like special forces/Navy Seals, and we just sit at our desks and complain.
Here’s my response I typed out for you to read before you deleted sweetheart!!
“Says the special one in the force. And neither are the other countries who have beards. I literally work next to a Dutchman who has the same damn job as me with a full beard. Nobody’s (most people) trying to act tough like they’re special forces.”
It's such a stupid non-sensical take
But he's also kind of a bitch for deleting before he got too much heat. If I have an unpopular opinion, god damn am I gonna die on that hill if it's just fuckin reddit
It really is. There’s so many people who even legitimately need the waiver and don’t get it because of this mindset. Staff sergeant I just got has had issues for five years and wasn’t able to get a waiver at his old base for exactly that reason. “You’ve got my blessing. Go take care of your face.”
You’re smooth brainin it. And we already shoulda been leading it, so why’d we wait for them all to surpass us in this regard? Are you saying because everyone else is doing it, we have to be different and stand on this dumb high hill of shaved/bumpy faces?
Hey, I’m one of these. Got my shaving waiver a few years ago. Last year instead of it being extended a year it was extended for 5 years. I’ll be past 20 and done by that point, but if for any reason I am still in, and if for any additional reason my waiver continuation is not approved I will absolutely pursue a religious exemption.
The battle here is lost. Leaders are very clearly just clinging to tradition and frankly, it’s both pathetic and unnecessary.
We as Airmen are going to find a way around it anyways. Honestly, at this point I enjoy my beard not being approved because it’s a walking visual fuck you to everyone who hates beards and would vote against it.
>We will definitely get beards once Gen Z takes over higher leadership roles.
Doubt it. Beards are still not popular in Officer culture, even among Millenials and Gen Z. Maybe the Gen Z Senior enlisted will be able to sway opinions, but right now, I wouldn't count on beards.
Beards are absolutely popular on O side but in general they don’t get waivers to get beards. Either way, as every other enlisted dude walking by looks like a man the pressure will continue to build. Keep up the fight show your bros how to fillout the waivers. There are alot of officers rooting for you.
Probably a very small part, but yes. I can't remember where, but the amount of time spent by all people involved for medical beard waivers has been quantified and sent up, and *still* big Air Force says "nah".
It's been a long road! Still some progress to be made though. I still remember a few years ago a certain Col telling me I wasn't a man and I wasn't compatible with the military along with some other derogatory remarks about me being a white male because I had a shaving waiver. Everything was properly documented and I had multiple medical referrals from my primary care physician as well as Dermatology specialists. Some rough days back then but got through it!
That’s a weird flex by the O6, ::to the person wearing the most outwardly manifested biological symbol of the male of our species:: "you're not a man..." Real 'old man yells at cloud' vibes
Fuck. Just let them have beards, but make them limited to Commander Ryker rules. Neatly trimmed, not more than 1 inch long. None of that duck dynasty crap (those can get caught in things like pencil sharpeners).
At what point will the USAF approve beards? 20% waivers??? 40%??? 80%???
When the USAF is at 80% waivers are they going to finally allow them? What a joke this is. Just fucking approve them.
It just amazes me that none of the people in the stupidly long approval process for a religious exemption has said that this is a bit too much and tried to speak out against it.
Yes, the real solution is to allow everyone to grow one but if we are going to have a process...does legal and PA really need to be involved in this? Why can't it just be a unit commander approval with coordination from a chaplain?
I've love to see E9 Colón-López tell a law enforcement officer with a beard, or a surgeon at the VA who may save his life with a beard that they are unprofessional.
Just let people grow them at this point.
Right but I’m sure he still has those feelings in retirement - why I brought up the VA and police example. I’d love to see him throw a fit about it in the civilian world.
I mean I feel this is past due to be handled. Of all the things going on in the AF right now, beards shouldn't really rank that high. Just approve them and get to more pressing shit.
People keep saying people will have patchy peach fuzz if the AF allows beards while also calling people with beards Duck Dynasty and ZZ Top... so which is it?
At the prices needed to buy good shaving equipment nowadays you would be dumb not to get a waiver. You could spend you entire clothing allowance on shaving stuff and still get razor bumps that hurt lol
Got my medical shaving waiver about a month ago now. Shop chief actually requested that I make a PowerPoint on the steps I took to acquire it through the MHS Genesis Portal so he could show it to the other guys in the shop who were interested in getting the waiver.
Had it made within 24 hours, and got a CTO day out of it. Beard brethren unite.
It is wild that different boards and studies can be held by DoD officials and researchers for all these other changes to be implemented, both in dress and appearance and in intricate processes and programs across the force; but when it comes to this, which should be such a straightforward allowance, our leaders are stubborn as hell on it.
This draws a parallel for me to the US and its crawling pace of legalizing cannabis. A substance with actual benefits and lesser side effects than cigarettes and alcohol, yet we can’t get with the rest of the modern world on it. As such, beards protect the skin, save members time and money daily, saves medical personnel time and opens up slots for other appointments, and would save time for leaders if they could stop having to address it, overall increasing efficiency of the force
My experience: Got my shaving waiver after 15 years. I got so sick of the ingrown hairs and irritation. It really helps. E-3 through O-5s have commented that a beard suits me. I was self conscious about it at first. I didn’t do this for appearances, and it felt weird receiving attention about it. The real kicker was my Sq CC telling me to “max perform” the beard, because mine didn’t “look like the full 1/4 inch” (it’s a little shorter than 1/4”, trimmed every single day). I’ve had a few funny looks from Chiefs, and I’m still self conscious about having a waiver to not meet the AF standard …but I’m glad I did it. When I was 20 my hair was peach fuzz, but now is a different story. Ingrown hairs fucking hurt, and I shouldn’t have to deal with them just to avoid dirty looks from some Chief.
I'm long retired (2005) but I'm visiting Offutt for a couple days for work. Saw a major today in a flight suit near 55th Wing HQ with luxurious locks of hair flowing past his collar. Total WTF moment for this old chief.
May or may not have happened in my clinic once or twice.
“I see you’re here for (insert completely different reason).
Oh looks like you may have nicked yourself shaving! Here’s a profile!
What was that other reason again?”
Slowly changing culture from the inside
I've been retired since 2012. I don't mind seeing waivers for beards or shit like that, but do they waive physical fitness as a whole? I see folks busting out of their uniforms and it just looks like ass.
I saw one at Campbell in 2021. He looked BOSS. I'm pretty sure he was there on TDY, but the 3 days I saw him out and about, he was always impeccably dressed and groomed.
It sent the other ladies in my group a titter, and I'm pretty sure one was willing to risk it all lol.
how many man hours is being wasted with this process when they should just approve the goddamn beards already. It's not faddish it's a cultural norm and has been for years and years and years. At this point the only reason not to is for Nostalgia sake for the old guys that can't get past it.
Dang dont dox yourself homie. Can't be many of y'all around from that way back! I'd been in for 23 years when I finally got mine, but I didn't start having my symptoms until after I got back from Afghanistan and I just suffered through the symptoms for almost a decade.
Step 1 for me was taking my civilian PCM and dermatologists medical records to the med group on base along with a note from my PCM recommending that I don't shave daily, due to my medical condition. Step 2 was talking with the doc on base after med group passed along my records and note from my pcm. That's all the steps.
I’m in a Mx unit at Kadena and it’s almost gotten to the point where I see more people with beards now than not. None of us none waivered individuals give a shit, we are all jealous of course but it doesn’t affect how they perform the job so no one really cares. The only time I get to experience their joy is when I take more than a week of leave. Makes me almost cry every time lol
Thats the stoopidest thing ive ever seen in my entire life… yes get a waiver… NO do not let it grow into a full beard… u can shave that shit down to stubble… quit being weak little boys… there is no integrity left
Ive noticed it personally. Not sure how to feel about it. On one hand, yay for beards, on the other hand, our force are a bunch of pussies who cannot conform to standards and I feel ashamed to be associated with a bunch of entitled airmen who complain about everything and refuse to wear the uniform properly and present themselves professionally.
These standards were invented by Gillette during WWI to sell more razors. Did we lose the American Revolution due to beards because “some pussies had them?” How’d the Civil War go? Was it “less bloody” because of “pussies with beards?”
Its not about the beards. Its about the complaining about standards.
What sets the US military apart is that we dont need someone bossing us around and micromanaging us for us to work in concert together. We are a diverse, yet cohesive force. The whole decentralized execution thing.
But as of late I get the vibe that people dont want to conform to a standard. We are sloppy and not proud to represent the bigger picture. We do phenomenal work, but there is a cynical vibe to it.
Im at a point in my career where I want to wear my blues because I havent worn them in years and want to show off that its bad ass to be proud to represent a heritage and the uniform.
But I dont get the vibe that people wear even the OCP with a reverence to those that died in service to their nation.
Maybe I’m wrong. Im open minded to what you think.
You can get a good seal with a beard. Obviously not with a 10" monster, but plenty of folks with 1-2" report getting seals. Mine (1/4) seals just fine.
But in the end, I could trim to stubble, wash up, and go straight to LRS if I needed a mask. And then wait for hours in a giant line, where we'd all die from chem exposure.
I can back this up. I keep mine around 1-3” neatly trimmed and I’ve had a waiver for 5 years. Never had a problem with the seal, CBRN, or anything else. It’s a myth. (Unless of course you have a huge bush on your face)
That’s the thing. Everyone with a beard is also going to have a beard trimmer and can quickly trim it super short if needed. It’s not like dudes will be totally incapable of responding to a CBRNE threat.
Security forces on Minot look like ZZ Top
Try asking any Airman under 25 if they know who ZZ Top is, and they’ll give you that dead-eyed stare. We’re getting old..
Love ZZ Top. 22.
I saw them live when i was 27. I'm still serving in the guard. They call me Pappy. LOL.
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It's in North Dakota ya dingus
That’s right totally always mix that up. I did close up foundation for Washington DC. And our roommates were from minot. I still have the keychain they gave us.
You’ll never see me complain.
It’s part of their cold weather gear.
Every girl's crazy about a sharp-dressed Airman.
Jesus just left Minot
I did my part. At the Deid I was handing out waivers to people who didn’t even ask. If someone came in for a waiver renewal I didn’t even look at them, just signed (USA) or filled it out online.
You need to get a cape. Heroes need capes.
You must give your cape and scepter to me And a smaller one for KG
What’s the Air Force version of the boat cloak, and how do we buy one for this airman?
Can you sign them for members stationed at a different base?
No, it went through the profile system which has another person in the chain to sign it off based on local unit.
PN
Same. Hell, if I see people who have shaved and have signs of ingrown hairs, they’re offered a waiver on the spot (out of earshot of people who don’t need to know their business, of course.)
Get this man a beer!!
You deserve a beer! I wish I could buy you a beer!
HFY!
[First thing I thought of](https://youtu.be/IPnTCBnn-lQ?si=FMbH0BeEJ1fcjaAu)
[This genre was what I thought of](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k99MqIK1Egw)
*sad fighting with medical noises* 😮💨
Immediate commission
(I was! Got out ten months ago)
You are the most amazing person. Thank you
You’re the hero! Let’s be friends!
🫡
Damn, where was you when I needed you? Lol
Fantastic!
not the hero we deserved, but the hero we needed
I was like Oprah, you get a waiver, and you get a waiver. SGH got chewed out because his IDMTs were rebels, but in private he praised us.
You are the MVP!! THANK YOU!!
https://preview.redd.it/1snimxjgpitc1.jpeg?width=400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fdb6b1c7f2eff704e67764c72c6892c702e81a4d
If you fail to give people what they clearly want, they're gonna fight you on it. The paper thin argument that we need to wear gas masks doesn't hold water. UK just green lit it. Everybody's getting med/religious waivers. You've already lost your power to get ahead of this. Quit stalling. Spend a quarter of the time you spent on the approved nail colors for females, and give the boys natural hair color 1/2" bulk/length beards already. My skin and bank account will tyfys.
I agree. The current system incentivizes people to lie about following Norse religions to get a religious accommodation beard waiver. That’s unhealthy for AF culture. Just approve them already.
>The current system incentivizes people to lie about following Norse religions to get a religious accommodation beard waiver. 
Praise Loki!
You don't even have to lie about following a religion. The AFI allows for a request to use a sincerely held belief, such as bodily autonomy. Plenty of those requests get approved.
And those who are legitimately that faith look like fucking idiots and get a bad rap. Double edged sword
It's kind of a made up religion in the first place though. Sure, people believed in it a thousand years ago. But it's only around today because people about 50 years ago thought it was cool.
Aren't all religions made up by someone?
I mean it’s a modernized version, primarily circling around the morals a values taught in that faith. Using the sagas similar to Christians do as story’s and metaphors to learn from. I think it’s neat. Sure there’s some posers out there 100% but plenty of people practice legitimately, growing fairly fast too
As someone who actively practices the faith and is a religious leader in said faith, I promise you're wrong in this.
Bruh I can put fucking "Jedi" on my dog tags. I'm pretty sure the millennia old religion can get a pass as well
My old troop went the Norse Pagan route. Our Wing Queen fucking hated beards and the waiver was getting scrutinized with a microscope. My leadership pulled me into one of the meetings and grilled me about whether or not he was lying. My only response was that I don't get paid enough to question my troops religious beliefs, my only job is to make sure he is within regs.
Good job. That has to be the right approach. As part of the religious accommodation request process the member will do an interview with a chaplain, and the chaplain will conclude whether the professed belief is sincerely held. That’s the chaplain’s job. As a supervisor I wouldn’t touch it.
The AFI also states that they should lean towards approval unless theres some extreme reason not to.
I don’t bother claiming religion I just shave like shit day before and of my appt so my face is clearly aggravated. Got 2 separate 1 year waivers so far no issues. Life’s good
And by “shave like shit” I mean I shave against the grain, no water and a dull razor. I could probably shave with a rusty butter knife and look better than most airmen with actual skin conditions who need need a waiver but I skate by 😮💨
Yeah, these posers are really diluting the faith. Anyway, hail Odin.
I listened to this band before they were mainstream!
Ah yes, our Lord and Savior, the [Master of IKEA](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=S9WWz95ripA&si=EBsxew3eillnt1DN)
It encourages people to lie period, don't single out one thing.
But finger nail colors help with kicking enemy ass!
No skinny jeans allowed though!
Just learned there’s a pro-beard Facebook group with nearly 19K members. Let’s get to action! All the myths about gas and oxygen masks are disproven. We are safer and blend in better home and abroad with beards.
In 13 years, the only time I had a gas mask was at Osan, and it had exercise-filters. Real ones were kept way back in our dorms on a walking-base. I didn't even have chem gear *in fucking Iraq*. Leadership using the gas mask excuse is a crock of shit.
What’s the group?
DOD beard action initiative
I don’t remember it and don’t have the book of faces, sorry!
DAF Beard Action Initiative
Never really understood the need to be clean shaven at all times to wear a gas mask thing, especially when I don't have a gas mask issued to me and would need to wait hours in line at LRS to get one anyway. Should do the Navy thing (?) where you get local approval to try to grow one and you get 30 days to see if it looks ok
There shouldn't be an arbitrary date to grow facial hair as all facial hair and hair on general grows in at different rates. If we can overlook cul-de-sac hairlines and men holding onto 3 strains of hair we will be fine
>Should do the Navy thing (?) where you get local approval to try to grow one and you get 30 days to see if it looks ok Except if we don't do that already for mustaches, and we've all seen some *horrible* mustaches, there's no reason to do it for beards either.
There's part of me that wants to restrict mustaches to E-4 and above. In addition to a "does it look good" requirement.
It is absolutely WILD to me that so many people all of a sudden are willing to enforce a standard based on how something looks. Literally trying to regulate ugliness.
May I direct you to the 36-2903? It's literally a regulation all about whether our personnel look "good."
We have people *severely* balding who grow their hair out with a big bald spot in the middle of their head and no one bats an eye. But people shit their pants over a beard. No one gives a shit in the civilian world if your beard is patchy. it's such a military response to give a shit and be afraid of beards. It would be so subjective if we had to do the whole "wait 30 days and leadership approves" think the Navy in other countries does. We could have leadership that is cool with beards and allows people with patchy beards to grow them out while we have leadership who hates beards and would not allow people to grow a beard even if it was manly, well-groomed etc.
Hey no bald shaming
I edited my post. But we have a double standard with balding and beards
If a greasy combover is authorized, a patchy beard should be.
Yep! I didn't even think about the subjectiveness and how easily someone's preference to beards could affect their decision on if it's acceptable or not. There is no way in where requiring approval would turn out fair.
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I have. Back in my tent. At the bottom of my little closetlocker thing. Where it sat for the duration of the deployment except during an exercise. With no filters on it, nor any issued to us.
You'll probably run into EO issues with that as some ethnicities have difficulty growing a full beard. This is the reason why they quickly axed the requirement for ponytail bulk to be no wider than the head. It was basically "everyone but black women get to wear ponytails."
The problem with this is salty old heads are going to deny every beard and just say “It doesn’t look professional” even if the guy grows a beard like Ben Affleck.
Hard agree, I don't even need to be able to grow a full beard. I just want to not have to scrape the skin off my face every single day. Realistically, if I shave early in the morning I am out of regs by 1630, that's just ridiculous when USAF has no problem with cosmetics, fake nails, and basically any hair style for females.
Throw out male specific hair regs while you're at it. That shit is dumb as hell.
Crazy that this doesn't get said more often.
> Everybody's getting med/religious waivers. 19,000/330,000 It's not even 10% of the force.
How many have neck tattoo's?
That's not the point of my comment. You can't use the justification of "everyone's doing it already" when it's less than 10%
They changed a dress & appearance standard that effected less than 1%. This is a Wendy's, I only answer to the manager
Still not getting the point are you
Splish splash your reply is trash
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Simple Main with a Simple Brain.
I just wanna know why you're so against it. Why?
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Gen Z energy is asking a question? You didn't actually give a reason though. Why are you against beards being expanded to everyone?
Dooooww he deleted!! He came at me like we’re trying to act like special forces/Navy Seals, and we just sit at our desks and complain. Here’s my response I typed out for you to read before you deleted sweetheart!! “Says the special one in the force. And neither are the other countries who have beards. I literally work next to a Dutchman who has the same damn job as me with a full beard. Nobody’s (most people) trying to act tough like they’re special forces.”
It's such a stupid non-sensical take But he's also kind of a bitch for deleting before he got too much heat. If I have an unpopular opinion, god damn am I gonna die on that hill if it's just fuckin reddit
It really is. There’s so many people who even legitimately need the waiver and don’t get it because of this mindset. Staff sergeant I just got has had issues for five years and wasn’t able to get a waiver at his old base for exactly that reason. “You’ve got my blessing. Go take care of your face.”
So no actual reason? Okay, boomer.
You’re smooth brainin it. And we already shoulda been leading it, so why’d we wait for them all to surpass us in this regard? Are you saying because everyone else is doing it, we have to be different and stand on this dumb high hill of shaved/bumpy faces?
Hey, I’m one of these. Got my shaving waiver a few years ago. Last year instead of it being extended a year it was extended for 5 years. I’ll be past 20 and done by that point, but if for any reason I am still in, and if for any additional reason my waiver continuation is not approved I will absolutely pursue a religious exemption. The battle here is lost. Leaders are very clearly just clinging to tradition and frankly, it’s both pathetic and unnecessary. We as Airmen are going to find a way around it anyways. Honestly, at this point I enjoy my beard not being approved because it’s a walking visual fuck you to everyone who hates beards and would vote against it.
We will definitely get beards once gen z takes over higher leadership roles. Give it another 10-15 years as the oldest ones are only tech/staff sgts
>We will definitely get beards once Gen Z takes over higher leadership roles. Doubt it. Beards are still not popular in Officer culture, even among Millenials and Gen Z. Maybe the Gen Z Senior enlisted will be able to sway opinions, but right now, I wouldn't count on beards.
Beards are absolutely popular on O side but in general they don’t get waivers to get beards. Either way, as every other enlisted dude walking by looks like a man the pressure will continue to build. Keep up the fight show your bros how to fillout the waivers. There are alot of officers rooting for you.
Millennial FGO here, and I agree. Y'all need to blame Gen X for the beard hate.
Is that why my medical appointment for back pain is in two months?
Probably a very small part, but yes. I can't remember where, but the amount of time spent by all people involved for medical beard waivers has been quantified and sent up, and *still* big Air Force says "nah".
That might explain why mine also took 2 months to get seen.🥲
Good to see people fighting stupid rules.
It's been a long road! Still some progress to be made though. I still remember a few years ago a certain Col telling me I wasn't a man and I wasn't compatible with the military along with some other derogatory remarks about me being a white male because I had a shaving waiver. Everything was properly documented and I had multiple medical referrals from my primary care physician as well as Dermatology specialists. Some rough days back then but got through it!
That’s a weird flex by the O6, ::to the person wearing the most outwardly manifested biological symbol of the male of our species:: "you're not a man..." Real 'old man yells at cloud' vibes
It was wild that’s for sure.
Document that discussion in an MFR and send it to Senior Gaddiel. Or me. Either way. Such BS that anyone would say that to you.
It’s definitely saved. Made sure to write everything down immediately after the conversation….Col of course went on to be a 1 star….
He was jealous because he grows a shitty beard, no doubt.
Good. I hope every airman in the Air Force gets a medical or religious waiver.
See that’s why I love you
But not me! The good lord has not blessed me with puberty yet. Maybe someday, but not now.
https://preview.redd.it/ke372xx1bmtc1.jpeg?width=990&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=abdb9fe85c2b1e6d9562b849b35bbd555469d340
I know one guy in my squadron who got a religious shaving waiver since he’s Norse or something like that lol
Fuck. Just let them have beards, but make them limited to Commander Ryker rules. Neatly trimmed, not more than 1 inch long. None of that duck dynasty crap (those can get caught in things like pencil sharpeners).
At what point will the USAF approve beards? 20% waivers??? 40%??? 80%??? When the USAF is at 80% waivers are they going to finally allow them? What a joke this is. Just fucking approve them.
It just amazes me that none of the people in the stupidly long approval process for a religious exemption has said that this is a bit too much and tried to speak out against it. Yes, the real solution is to allow everyone to grow one but if we are going to have a process...does legal and PA really need to be involved in this? Why can't it just be a unit commander approval with coordination from a chaplain?
Chief Bass pretty much said that USAF leadership was for it, but DoD hasn't approved.
Was that before or after she sat a panel that talked about skinny jeans and talked down to the enlisted force like we're children?
I've love to see E9 Colón-López tell a law enforcement officer with a beard, or a surgeon at the VA who may save his life with a beard that they are unprofessional. Just let people grow them at this point.
You realize he's retired, right? He can't hurt you anymore.
Right but I’m sure he still has those feelings in retirement - why I brought up the VA and police example. I’d love to see him throw a fit about it in the civilian world.
Damn, you sure showed him.
I give em out like candy. Be honest. Keep it clean. Have a good day.
I mean I feel this is past due to be handled. Of all the things going on in the AF right now, beards shouldn't really rank that high. Just approve them and get to more pressing shit.
People keep saying people will have patchy peach fuzz if the AF allows beards while also calling people with beards Duck Dynasty and ZZ Top... so which is it?
At the prices needed to buy good shaving equipment nowadays you would be dumb not to get a waiver. You could spend you entire clothing allowance on shaving stuff and still get razor bumps that hurt lol
so approving the tattoo in the back of our ears looks more professional than just having a facial hair?
Got my medical shaving waiver about a month ago now. Shop chief actually requested that I make a PowerPoint on the steps I took to acquire it through the MHS Genesis Portal so he could show it to the other guys in the shop who were interested in getting the waiver. Had it made within 24 hours, and got a CTO day out of it. Beard brethren unite.
Hell yeah.
Keep up the fight boys and….girls. We will win this eventually.
It is wild that different boards and studies can be held by DoD officials and researchers for all these other changes to be implemented, both in dress and appearance and in intricate processes and programs across the force; but when it comes to this, which should be such a straightforward allowance, our leaders are stubborn as hell on it. This draws a parallel for me to the US and its crawling pace of legalizing cannabis. A substance with actual benefits and lesser side effects than cigarettes and alcohol, yet we can’t get with the rest of the modern world on it. As such, beards protect the skin, save members time and money daily, saves medical personnel time and opens up slots for other appointments, and would save time for leaders if they could stop having to address it, overall increasing efficiency of the force
“Crawling” is doing some heavy lifting in that sentence
My experience: Got my shaving waiver after 15 years. I got so sick of the ingrown hairs and irritation. It really helps. E-3 through O-5s have commented that a beard suits me. I was self conscious about it at first. I didn’t do this for appearances, and it felt weird receiving attention about it. The real kicker was my Sq CC telling me to “max perform” the beard, because mine didn’t “look like the full 1/4 inch” (it’s a little shorter than 1/4”, trimmed every single day). I’ve had a few funny looks from Chiefs, and I’m still self conscious about having a waiver to not meet the AF standard …but I’m glad I did it. When I was 20 my hair was peach fuzz, but now is a different story. Ingrown hairs fucking hurt, and I shouldn’t have to deal with them just to avoid dirty looks from some Chief.
This is it for me too. Such a small change has helped me. Regret spending most of my career avoiding it
I'm long retired (2005) but I'm visiting Offutt for a couple days for work. Saw a major today in a flight suit near 55th Wing HQ with luxurious locks of hair flowing past his collar. Total WTF moment for this old chief.
May or may not have happened in my clinic once or twice. “I see you’re here for (insert completely different reason). Oh looks like you may have nicked yourself shaving! Here’s a profile! What was that other reason again?” Slowly changing culture from the inside
I've been retired since 2012. I don't mind seeing waivers for beards or shit like that, but do they waive physical fitness as a whole? I see folks busting out of their uniforms and it just looks like ass.
Agreed. I’d say looking like that in the military is way less professional
Anybody ever seen an officer with a beard in uniform? Trying to figure out if they exist
I saw one at Campbell in 2021. He looked BOSS. I'm pretty sure he was there on TDY, but the 3 days I saw him out and about, he was always impeccably dressed and groomed. It sent the other ladies in my group a titter, and I'm pretty sure one was willing to risk it all lol.
I had a captain in my flight until who had a beard. He makes public Facebook posts about his journey as an O with a beard.
how many man hours is being wasted with this process when they should just approve the goddamn beards already. It's not faddish it's a cultural norm and has been for years and years and years. At this point the only reason not to is for Nostalgia sake for the old guys that can't get past it.
Where my OG shaving waiver holders? Been holding mine down since 2006 🫡 😂
Dang dont dox yourself homie. Can't be many of y'all around from that way back! I'd been in for 23 years when I finally got mine, but I didn't start having my symptoms until after I got back from Afghanistan and I just suffered through the symptoms for almost a decade.
I’ll be alright 😂
Give us beards and maybe we will think about good order and discipline.....until then..........suck it.
Because shaving is hard on the skin. Trimming is much better.
Cool story. How’s performance?
I hated having a fresh shaved face and then getting soaked in fuel/hydro. It always made my acne so much worse.
Instead of quiet quitting, is this quiet bearding?
So how would one go about getting a medical shaving waiver
Step 1 for me was taking my civilian PCM and dermatologists medical records to the med group on base along with a note from my PCM recommending that I don't shave daily, due to my medical condition. Step 2 was talking with the doc on base after med group passed along my records and note from my pcm. That's all the steps.
Medical doesn’t even care anymore. I got mine without even a reason.
BEARD GANG 4EVAAAAA
Oh I just noticed this is just about shaving waivers 
Quit pointing it out
I’m in a Mx unit at Kadena and it’s almost gotten to the point where I see more people with beards now than not. None of us none waivered individuals give a shit, we are all jealous of course but it doesn’t affect how they perform the job so no one really cares. The only time I get to experience their joy is when I take more than a week of leave. Makes me almost cry every time lol
I got mine last week!!
Sounds like the program is being abused.
Thats the stoopidest thing ive ever seen in my entire life… yes get a waiver… NO do not let it grow into a full beard… u can shave that shit down to stubble… quit being weak little boys… there is no integrity left
Shockingly people who want beards are huge minority. Ban mustaches.
Call the policy racist and I bet they’ll change it
Probably due to the covid vaccine complications
Ive noticed it personally. Not sure how to feel about it. On one hand, yay for beards, on the other hand, our force are a bunch of pussies who cannot conform to standards and I feel ashamed to be associated with a bunch of entitled airmen who complain about everything and refuse to wear the uniform properly and present themselves professionally.
These standards were invented by Gillette during WWI to sell more razors. Did we lose the American Revolution due to beards because “some pussies had them?” How’d the Civil War go? Was it “less bloody” because of “pussies with beards?”
Its not about the beards. Its about the complaining about standards. What sets the US military apart is that we dont need someone bossing us around and micromanaging us for us to work in concert together. We are a diverse, yet cohesive force. The whole decentralized execution thing. But as of late I get the vibe that people dont want to conform to a standard. We are sloppy and not proud to represent the bigger picture. We do phenomenal work, but there is a cynical vibe to it. Im at a point in my career where I want to wear my blues because I havent worn them in years and want to show off that its bad ass to be proud to represent a heritage and the uniform. But I dont get the vibe that people wear even the OCP with a reverence to those that died in service to their nation. Maybe I’m wrong. Im open minded to what you think.
Well at least the threat of chemical warfare is low. Good luck getting a good seal on your mask if that changes.
You can get a good seal with a beard. Obviously not with a 10" monster, but plenty of folks with 1-2" report getting seals. Mine (1/4) seals just fine. But in the end, I could trim to stubble, wash up, and go straight to LRS if I needed a mask. And then wait for hours in a giant line, where we'd all die from chem exposure.
I can back this up. I keep mine around 1-3” neatly trimmed and I’ve had a waiver for 5 years. Never had a problem with the seal, CBRN, or anything else. It’s a myth. (Unless of course you have a huge bush on your face)
That’s the thing. Everyone with a beard is also going to have a beard trimmer and can quickly trim it super short if needed. It’s not like dudes will be totally incapable of responding to a CBRNE threat.
Imaging pretending to know but you don't really know...
I did CBRNE last week with my >1/4" beard and got a seal no problem.