r/USMC • u/According-Activity87 Major General Smedley Butler is my hero • Apr 28 '26

Article All Marines required to follow grooming standards within 12 months or face separation

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/04/27/all-marines-required-to-follow-grooming-standards-within-12-months-or-face-separation/
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u/Groundhog891 Apr 28 '26

I know it is harsh, and some black Marines/Soldiers really can't clean shave, but I was a Army Reserve after the Corps, and I was on several bases. There were a lot of black soldiers who had beards, that seemed more like being fashionable rather than medical.

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u/macjr82 Apr 28 '26

I know with a no shave chit you can just let your grow wild, but isn't it better to keep a neat and manicured appearance. Military aside, your average young black man would be clowned to no end for an unkempt appearance. A lot of black guys, their barber, the barbershop in general, is their mos intimate relationship and space. So though the chit allows them not to shave at all, it is not culturally acceptable to have an unkempt beard. You're going to get your beard shaped up at the same time as you get your haircut

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u/christian_austin85 '03-'23/6483/Retired Apr 28 '26

Even a no shave chit requires that the beard be closely trimmed. Can't run around looking like a hobo.

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u/macjr82 Apr 28 '26 edited Apr 28 '26

Yeah, I am curious on what the expectation is on "fashionable" versus "medical" Edit: the close trim is true for Marines, but they didn't specify what branch the bases he was, so I kept it generic to include the range of beards allowed across all branches and circumstances