Beards after the military? Just for fun!

ha ha ha I joined at 17, I couldnt grow a beard if I tried (and I did). but after I got out, it was beard on. I now have a full ginger beard that just grows as it pleases. my wife isnt too fond of it, but she has gotten used to it I suppose

I grew up as an Air Force brat. My dad did the haircuts, #2 adapter, buzzzz. After I got in High School, I still kept it short, because of being on a swimming team I didn't want any drag. I had long sideburns though.
I spent 34 years either Active Duty or Reserves straight without a break.. At age 53 here I was retired from the military, divorced, single, all the kids grown, no bald spots, I'm growing it, because I CAN! I still have roots!
Ok, so I went almost 6 months without shaving. I kept it well clean and groomed.. The facial hair got too much, itchy scratchy, so I finally cut it off, and went with a closely trimmed moustache and goatee, and every few months I cut it all off for a month or so. But I kept the hair going.
4 years later, before I finally cut the hair I had a nice pony tail. With my motorcycle helmet on it was hard from the back to tell "what" I was, but the front, obvious now the belly and lack of chest features I was definitely a guy.
My other "issue" is I have PTSD.. Well one night during one of my "episodes" there was something that kept grabbing me on the shoulder. I was doing some hand to hand combat, and this guy kept smacking me on the back of the head. When I finally came to my senses, got the lights on, turned out to be my hair. So I said to myself, ok I proved a point, what ever it was originally, and off it came. I donated the hair to an organization to make wigs for chemo patients.
So I get a haircut trim once every other month now. And it is thinning out that's for sure, so I have to be careful. .

I cannot say in all its glory, but I do have a beard...I don't let it get long enough to braid but I do have one.