air force mustache regs

Air Force Mustache Regs - Master Sergeant John Dumond poses for a photo in his office at Joint Base Charleston, Wednesday, March 4, 2020, in North Charleston. Every March, the Air Force has a tradition of growing a mustache in honor of a decorated fighter pilot and retired brigadier general. General Robin Olds. Gavin McIntyre/Staff

Master Chief Master Sergeant John Dumond holds a mustache comb at Joint Base Charleston, Wednesday, March 4, 2020, in North Charleston. Gavin McIntyre/Staff

Air Force Mustache Regs

U.S. Air Force Capt. Aaron Blackburn, 20th Force Sustainment Squadron personnel officer, sits for a photo at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., March 15, 2017. Blackburn participated in the Mustache March, an Air Force tradition associated with retirees. brigade. General Robert Olds, a combat pilot in Vietnam whose mustache inspired his men to grow hair. Under Conditions/Air Force

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Acting First Sergeant 1st Class Benjamin Hopper, who is currently serving in Afghanistan with the 3665th Artillery Company (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), is the first Nevada Army Guard soldier to receive the religious device on his chin. Hopper got his religious focus from his Scandinavian pagan faith. Two other Pagan soldiers in the Nevada Army Guard are also looking for religious chin accessories. Provided by / US Army

Col. Robin Olds performs a pre-flight inspection of an F-4C Phantom before a mission in Southwest Asia. He was the commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon Air Force Base, Thailand, and was credited with shooting down four enemy aircraft during dogfights over North Vietnam. Olds held assignments in England, Germany, Libya, Thailand, and the United States that included squadron, base, group, and wing commanders, as well as staff assignments at the Air Force Base, United States Air Force Headquarters, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. employees. Provided by / US Air Force.

In March, the Air Force will recognize Robin Olds, the famed Vietnam aerobatic ace who grew an impressive unkempt handlebar mustache as an act of defiance. But it's also a reminder that the military is constantly growing and changing in relation to facial hair, self-expression and historical tradition.

Master Sergeant John Dumond poses for a photo in his office at Joint Base Charleston, Wednesday, March 4, 2020, in North Charleston. Every March, the Air Force has a tradition of growing a mustache in honor of a decorated fighter pilot and retired brigadier general. General Robin Olds. Gavin McIntyre/Staff Posted by Gavin McIntyre gmcintyre@

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It's not a standard thing, but it's an annual tradition. One who has been around for a long time as a master sergeant. John Dumond, who has been grizzly for almost a decade, has become as routine for him as putting on his uniform.

"The military is a very regimented thing," Dumont said. "So when you see military personnel growing mustaches, it seems unusual."

In March, the BBC honors Brigadier Robin Olds, the famous Vietnam air ace who grew an impressive optional mustache to inspire his men and protest against the rules. But it's also a reminder that the military is constantly growing and changing in relation to facial hair, self-expression and historical tradition.

Robert Duvall sported a flyboy mustache in The Big Santini, Robert De Niro grew a menacing beard in The Deer Hunter, and Bradley Cooper played Navy SEAL Chris Kyle with a wicked beard in American Sniper.

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But in reality, facial hair is often rare and like most things in the military, it has to serve a purpose.

Beards can be a tribute to heroes. The chin can be used as a mask for special operations. Stubble can be a symbol of deep religious faith. And sometimes they can be just for laughs.

"If it's going to boost morale in any way, then I'm going to do it," Dumont said. "We have a difficult job. ... It depresses people. Sometimes vanity helps.'

While many airmen grew bulletproof mustaches during the Vietnam War, Olds' upper lip was next level.

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His irregular mustache was often waxed and always stylish. He started growing it after a successful flight in Vietnam. It was an act of defiance they called themselves.

"He became the go-between that I couldn't pick up in publicity photos," Olds wrote in his memoirs. "The mustache became my silent last word in verbal battles... with higher command about the rules, objectives, and conduct of the war."

But when he returned home, the leadership of the Air Force did not notice the news. Then Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. McConnell told Olds to shave it off. He dutifully replied, "Yes, sir."

In his memoirs, he reflected on how, during the deployment, Air Force leadership "seemed quite amused by the various 'mustaches'" worn by many of the soldiers. He added that shaving was the "most direct order" he received in the Air Force.

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As an acceptable protest, the Air Force unofficially holds a Mustache March every spring. According to the branch's guidelines, it should be "conservative, moderate, within reason, not excessive or extreme, and should not extend below the upper lip line." The opposite of Olds' legendary mustache.

But the culture influenced many South Carolina airmen, such as Major Christopher Wojtowicz. The C-17 pilot didn't have a mustache when he first joined the team in 2010, but it has since grown out. He said it's a conversation starter and he often talks about the city when he's in town.

"When I first came on, it really wasn't like that," Wojtowicz said. “I usually always have a mustache now. For me, it's a cultural thing. You use them as a means of gaining respect."

Recruits are usually clean-shaven during training. The Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard prohibit beards based on the assumption of good hygiene and a professional appearance. In addition, many branches prohibit full weights because they can interfere with the proper donning of respirators and gas masks.

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However, this often takes a backseat during deployment when certain missions may require a certain level of facial hair. For example, video games and movies often depict burly, bearded special forces soldiers with thick beards covered in sand after deployment.

Master Chief Master Sergeant John Dumond holds a mustache comb at Joint Base Charleston, Wednesday, March 4, 2020, in North Charleston. Gavin McIntyre/Staff Posted by Gavin McIntyre gmcintyre@

Bobby Cox, a South Carolina state legislator and former Army Ranger, knows special operations soldiers who sport their famous beards. He served in the army for 13 years, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel. His Army experience includes four combat tours in Iraq, some with special operations forces.

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"It's very mission specific," Cox said. “On some missions, you don't want to be called. So a mustache helps you blend in, especially in the Middle East. In some cultures, people attribute this to wisdom and respect, and it helps the locals take you seriously. ."

Medical exemptions can be obtained by military personnel who have doctor-certified skin irritation from shaving. Their hair still needs care and maintenance.

In addition, other exceptions have become more common in branches. Last month, the BBC updated its rules to officially allow airmen to request that religious clothing, such as turbans or hijabs or beards worn for religious reasons, be waived.

In 2010, Spc. Simranpeeth Lamba made history as the first Sikh to join the army. To get the exemption, he wore a camouflage turban under his Kevlar helmet for training and combat. He also wore a black turban with a blue infantry patch to match the other soldiers' black berets, and proved that the gas mask covered his moustache. Graduated from Fort Jackson.

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Since then, post officials have learned of nearly a dozen cases in which Army trainees have been exempted from observing the Sikh faith and traditions, a Fort Jackson L.A. spokeswoman said. Sulley.

Last December, Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Hopper, a native of Alabama and a member of the Nevada Army Guard, was given permission to grow a beard after the Army demonstrated his sincere devotion to the Norse pagan faith known as "Paganism." Polytheistic religion has its roots in Scandinavian folklore.

According to the Nevada Guard chaplain's office, two Pagan soldiers later began lobbying to stop wearing beards. Hopper said change is ultimately a good thing.

"I see this as a phase very similar to when the military allowed black socks to be worn during physical fitness testing," Hopper said in a statement from the Nevada National Guard. "It's new and allowed, and you always run into people who don't." because change is just life."

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Military bases in South Carolina told The Post and Courier that the number of religious exemptions on bases is private.

The beard is gaining more and more popularity among young people. Coincidentally, this is what the most recent internal DoD survey conducted in 2017 found

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