beards, Soldiers, U.S. Army, religious freedom, AR 670-1,

If we accommodate one religion, shouldn't we accommodate all? Facial piercings, tribal tattoos? Where is the line, or did we already cross it?

wasn't the whole idea of having a clean shaven face, to get a good seal on your protective mask?...or was that a bunch of b.s. the drill sergeants used to tell us? and what's wrong with that soldier, if that's what he calls himself; wear a patrol cap like everyone else.

As a religious Jew who loves my country and state(s), and has served since the 1990s, the ability to grow a beard opens a new level of reconciliation between service and faith. To me this is the crowning example of the 1st Amendment realized - that I can give back to the country that gave my ancestors and me a safe haven with numerous opportunities, and still live according to our religious customs.

That said, if CBRN is a reality in theater, if I grew a beard, it would come off with a quickness. We're not supposed to die on account of our commandments.

While I have dispensation in my tradition to use an electric razor, and satisfy our religious obligation with sideburns just skirting AR 670-1, other religious Jews may not. At any rate, relaxing of beard policies has allowed us to recruit from a rabbinical talent pool for the chaplaincy that we didn't have previously.

The U.S. Army's primary religious demographic I understand doesn't have specific appearance mandates that would disqualify service. I understand the disdain for facial hair, given the clean-cut image cultivated for over a century. I also understand the concern for "what's next?" It's a question I'm asking, and religious Jews are the ones who have been pushing against the beard ban the longest. The fact that it only comes because of an even smaller religious segment than ours is certainly frustrating.