Washington DC: The U.S. military is facing mounting criticism following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s announcement of a new grooming policy that bans most service members from keeping beards, allowing exemptions only for select special forces.
Speaking at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, Hegseth declared, “If you want a beard, join special forces. If not, shave. We don’t have a military full of Nordic pagans.” He condemned what he described as “rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles,” referring to medical and religious waivers that previously permitted facial hair for health or faith reasons.
The newly introduced policy reverses years of progress on religious and medical accommodations, restricting beard allowances to non-deployable positions with minimal exposure to chemical or fire hazards.
The Sikh Coalition, a leading advocacy organization for Sikhs in the U.S. military, voiced deep concern over the decision, warning that it undermines the religious freedoms of Sikhs, Muslims, and Orthodox Jews. “At this time, we are on high alert,” the group stated, emphasizing that the rule could force religious soldiers to choose between their faith and their military careers.
“For Sikh soldiers, shaving or cutting their beard is like cutting off a limb,” said Marissa Rossetti, senior staff attorney at the Sikh Coalition.
Hegseth, addressing more than 800 senior military officials, argued that stricter grooming standards would restore “lethality” and discipline within the ranks. However, civil rights organizations, veterans, and religious freedom advocates have strongly criticized the policy, calling it discriminatory and regressive in a diverse and modern military force.
New U.S. Military Grooming Policy Sparks Backlash Over Religious and Personal Freedoms
