House introduces legislation to allow airmen and Space Force Guardians to grow beards

The House is considering a new program that would allow those in the Air Force and Space Force to grow beards. 

The House Armed Services Committee added the beard proposal to the committee’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act. The legislation would be the strongest reform on facial hair for service members to date. 

The proposal, sponsored by Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX), would have the Air Force secretary “establish a pilot program to allow members of the Air Force and Space Force to grow beards.” They would then study “the effect of beard growth on discipline, morale and unity within the ranks,” as well as a determination “whether allowing members to grow beards improves inclusivity.”

Currently, beards are not permitted in any branch of the military. Neat and well-kept mustaches are permitted. 

Still, beards are allowed for airmen and Guardians so long as they have a religious or medical accommodation. Still, if you have a waiver, one must “keep all facial hair trimmed to the same length and it may not to exceed 1/4-inch in length.”  

Medical accommodations are becoming increasingly common in the Air Force, however, as cases of pseudofolliculitis barbae, or razor bumps, a skin condition caused by ingrown hairs that can make shaving painful, have become more accepted.

In 2021, one study found airmen with waivers were being promoted at a slower rate than those without waivers and concluded the beard ban was discriminatory toward black men, as they are more likely to suffer from PFB.  

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“The promotion system is not necessarily inherently racially biased, but instead biased against the presence of facial hair which will likely always affect the promotions of Blacks/African-Americans disproportionately because of the relatively higher need for shaving waivers in this population,” the study stated.

If passed, lawmakers would have six months to begin implementing the program. After one year of the program, the Air Force would need to submit a report to the House and Senate Armed Services committees on their findings. The pilot program would run for three years before a briefing to determine if it would be expanded or become permanent.