TURTLE said:

I don't really care but it seems like common sense to NOT look like the enemy. He's asking to be killed by friendly fire!

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In full uniform, full gear(including flak, Kevlar and some kinda eye pro), your not gonna notice his beard or the turban. In fact, depending on how long his unit has been forward and away from top brass, thier beards may be just as long.

Aside from the fact that after a pre deployment work up, and the eating/sleeping/breathing/working together in the same space before then, most guys in a small unit can tell who is who from 50 yards from behind just on the way they walk. Plus you got the ir patches, cats eyes, the actual uniform, and the cohesion and training that results in actual team work that mimics parts of a machine(different units will have the later in different Amounts), ya id be a little shocked to hear someone got a blue on blue due to a acu head wrap and 1" beard.


Brandon, I get where your coming from, but to me this is about the same as a guy getting a tattoo of a cross on his arm. The army isn't conforming to a minority, I wouldn't go that far, the guy put in a request and it got approved. I would recommend that if your religion calls for something outside of regs(a specific hat, a type of jewelry, tattoo etc), you should put in a request as well. I'll morally support you(which with a dollar will get you a coffee). It would be interesting to see what the guys in his unit think.

Those who spend considerable time outside the wire and working with the locals in the sand box often grow beards and they are sanctioned. Beards also grow when water is scarce or combat necessities preclude it and washing your feet is more essential then scraping your face IMHO. For those that don't like the Dastar headwear, you don't want to know what the hair underneath looks like. Lol. I wonder how he can successfully complete annual gas mask training?

U.S. Navy had allowed beards within parameters until 1984.

Did I miss something here. I beleave I have seen many people in the sand box with beards. They even want them to grow beards to blend in with the locals.Of course I have only seen that on the news and you know how the news can alter the news and vids.

Apples and Oranges are being compared now. Comparing Garrison to Combat... Even the Green Berets, SEALs, Delta etc have to shave their beards when they get back and they are allowed to have beards on deployments. If the majority have to shave even SOF personnel so should these guys. The military should not have to conform to a small minority... The military didn't pick them they chose the military.

I don't think, when the term "friendly fire" was used, they were refering to garrison life.

wildrider666 said:

Those who spend considerable time outside the wire and working with the locals in the sand box often grow beards and they are sanctioned. Beards also grow when water is scarce or combat necessities preclude it and washing your feet is more essential then scraping your face IMHO. For those that don't like the Dastar headwear, you don't want to know what the hair underneath looks like. Lol. I wonder how he can successfully complete annual gas mask training?

U.S. Navy had allowed beards within parameters until 1984.

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20$ days he takes out his contacts and deals with the unsealable mask. I watched guys pass with cracked/torn masks that leaked(found out at the chamber, traded out later), and nbc instructors that strait didn't wear one(I assume a bet). I refused to take my contacts out so I made damn sure to do it right the first time,

Most of us viewed the thing as something else to not get stolen. We locked ours in a box for deployment, I saw mine a grand total of 4 times because they kept shuffling us between tents. Now, if/when we go into Syria, with Assad and his gas, different story. I'll bet he shaves the edges then, and I'll bet no one in his unit says anything about it.

Brandon_SPC said:

Apples and Oranges are being compared now. Comparing Garrison to Combat... Even the Green Berets, SEALs, Delta etc have to shave their beards when they get back and they are allowed to have beards on deployments. If the majority have to shave even SOF personnel so should these guys. The military should not have to conform to a small minority... The military didn't pick them they chose the military.

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The Army granted him a waiver. He asked, they obliged.

Just so we're clear... are we pissed at the Army? Or the guy that worked within the Army's system?

Brandon, did you read the article? Stipulations to his accommodation? His performance in CBR gear?

You're still a dick...... I miss you!!! We need to catch up.......

If he gets gassed he is the one who dies. Alot of people on here would seem to have no problem with that.

MAXman said:

I don't think, when the term "friendly fire" was used, they were refering to garrison life.

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The reason why I am using garrison life is because the war has been dieing down and military personnel are coming back from there to Garrison which is why I am using garrison and of course he will be allowed to wear it garrison side.

Little Jack's Guns said:

The Army granted him a waiver. He asked, they obliged.

Just so we're clear... are we pissed at the Army? Or the guy that worked within the Army's system?

Brandon, did you read the article? Stipulations to his accommodation? His performance in CBR gear?

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I saw that the article said how he was with his chem gear, I have seen his accommodations (bronze star) and Ranger tab and I am not degrading him from it I am more of along the lines speaking about the Army. The Army is conforming to the small minority now. The Army soon you will be able to "self identify", women in combat which I don't care but of course the PT standards are not the same for such, allowing the wearing of beards and a turbin based on ones religious beliefs, the fact the Army's morale is the lowest of all time right now. The majority of soldiers won't be able to wear a beard Garrison side even when you get to special operations they still have to shave their bears or at least the green berets I know have said they have too....

The Army is becoming the social experiment for the military and conforming to the small minority will keep unit cohesiveness out of wack. Every where you go you have to worry about EO and SHARP complaints with females, people get offended when you say a cuss word even by accident, run to an NCO because they are called a Blue falcon and the next thing you know you are signing a counseling statement because a soldier has hurt feelings. Oh and how the Army can't smoke a soldier passed 5-10 repetitions of an exercise. How is that even corrective training?...... Or how they tried making the men and women who have been to a combat zone remove their combat patches and also how soldiers in basic training are getting patch because they do not feel "equal" to has unit patches.... It he jumped through the hoops then congratulations to him but the Army shouldn't be worrying about "accommodations" like that. We all were never forced into the Army we chose the Army....

Brandon_SPC said:

The Army is becoming the social experiment for the military

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The entire military has been like that for decades, not just the Army.

Well I guess the Army likes to advertise it because I never see it in the head lines for Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Marine Corps. I have seen the female indoctrinate in combat MOS for the Marine Corp but that is about it.

Brandon_SPC said:

Well I guess the Army likes to advertise it because I never see it in the head lines for Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Marine Corps. I have seen the female indoctrinate in combat MOS for the Marine Corp but that is about it.

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it seems like the Army likes to air it out for the public and everyone to see all the time like a drama tv show.