‘No More Beardos’: Hegseth Will Only Meet With Clean-Shaven Troops During South Korea Trip
AP Photo/Kevin Wolf
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is serious about his hatred of facial hair, refusing to allow service members with beards to attend an event with him during a visit to South Korea this week.
The story was reported by independent news website Task & Purpose, citing an email sent from the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base, South Korea, which was shared on an unofficial Air Force page.
“No Beardos allowed at Osan,” the caption said, along with a hashtag “#PriceOfTheWaiver.”
“Members with shaving waivers are NOT authorized to attend,” the text of the email read, highlighted in the image.
This was a reference to a quote from Hegseth’s Sept. 30 speech at Quantico, Virginia to hundreds of generals and admirals in which he declared “No more beardos,” because “the era of unprofessional appearance is over” and “the age of rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles is done.”
One of the common reasons service members might have requested a shaving waiver is a medical condition called pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), a painful skin condition that can happen with thick or curly facial hair and cause ingrown hairs, scarring, and other problems. It is more common among Black men and exacerbated by shaving.
Hegseth’s Sept. 30 memo changed the U.S. military policy to only allow temporary waivers for PFB and other skin issues, and would require annual renewals. The previous policy allowed a five-year waiver. The memo also rolled back waivers for religious reasons; Hegseth has expressed a high level of skepticism about these waivers, saying “we don’t have a military full of Nordic Pagans.” He has also pushed for the military to adopt higher fitness standards.
Task & Purpose reached out for comment, and an Air Force official confirmed the authenticity of the email, saying troops with shaving waivers would not be allowed to attend.
