Posted on Sep 4, 2014
Cpl Dennis F.
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This may hold true only for tankers. While in RVN the rules re: mustaches were only allowed for E-4 and above. As such a 'stache became an un-official badge of rank among E-4/5s. Does anything like that still occur?
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Responses: 6
SFC Mark Merino
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We were in the middle of nowhere Iraq and had no adult supervision. The AIR CAV staches were.....glorious. I couldn't partake.....too many years as a CSM fearing grunt. I felt bad for the CSM at the time. The SCO had one of the best ones around. If someone can teach me how to put a black square over faces, I'll post some winners.
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SSG Tim Everett
SSG Tim Everett
10 y
Hit the start button on your desktop. Select "All Programs" from the menu, and locate the "Accessories" folder. Open up MS Paint. Import your picture. *ALTERNATELY*, right-click the photo you wish to edit and select "Open With..." and choose MS Paint.

In MS Paint there will be a rectangle tool. Depending on what version of Windows you're using, make sure the "Fill" drop-down option is set to "solid" or make sure that both primary and secondary colours are black. Simply hold the mouse button down and drag yourself a nice little rectangle in whatever length and shape you desire.

Don't forget to save-as (DO NOT use the regular save option) and change the name of the photo so that you don't overwrite your photo with your new black bars. I suggest the additional measure of saving the photo to a separate location, like your desktop for example. That way you're guaranteed not to mess up your originals.
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SSG Section Sergeant
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I got a chance to work with some Canadians recently. There was one officer that had a handlebar mustache. Apparently they have the same regulations as we do on how it can't extend beyond the end of your mouth but they aren't limited on length. They said that a lot of them will grow a mustache and then have it turned up at the corners because their regulations don't say you can't do it.
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Cpl Dennis F.
Cpl Dennis F.
10 y
SSG (Join to see) Then it stands to reason that a Fu Man Chu would be OK also.
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CSM Charles Hayden
CSM Charles Hayden
10 y
SGT Manley, If you ever grow a long mustache, do not put 'wax' on it and then chew Mail Pouch when on a rifle range in the summer!
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CW3 Network Architect
CW3 (Join to see)
>1 y
Speaking from experience, CSM Charles Hayden ???
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CSM Charles Hayden
CSM Charles Hayden
>1 y
CW2 J. D. Walker, Mr Walker, Yessir!
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1SG Steven Stankovich
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"Back in the day" mustaches were very common for Cavalry officers. To echo SSG (Join to see) 's comments, I work in a NATO environment and mustache's and beards are very common within the 28 Nations.
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Cpl Dennis F.
Cpl Dennis F.
10 y
1SG Steven Stankovich Horse or armored cavalry? How far back are we going?
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1SG Steven Stankovich
1SG Steven Stankovich
10 y
Not that far back Cpl Dennis F. (late 80s and into the 90s...even as late as mid-2000s depending on the unit). Armored and light cavalry officers and senior NCOs typically had mustache's and even walked around with cigars. I can remember a half of dozen or so of them while growing up as a 19D. When the Army began "cracking down" on mustache's in DA Photos and such, and some of those folks chose to keep theirs anyway, I thought to myself that this tradition runs deep.
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Cpl Dennis F.
Cpl Dennis F.
10 y
1SG Steven Stankovich Thanks for the clarification. Yes it seems to me that I always saw more 'staches in tank units than others. I wonder what the history of it is? When leaving combat, I was told in Okinawa to shave it and ignored them. Told again at El Toro and ignored them also.....But most of the recent combat E4/5s also walked off of the police patrols also.
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