Hegseth Presses Beard Policy Enforcement After Spotting Violations on Navy Ship
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jul 8
Hegseth Presses Beard Policy Enforcement After Spotting Violations on Navy Ship
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jul 8
Summary
June ship visits triggered a Pentagon push after Pete Hegseth saw multiple sailors wearing beards despite his tighter grooming rules and sought action, according to emails and a defense official.
Pentagon meetings that followed told subordinates Hegseth was closely tracking progress on beard enforcement and Equal Employment Opportunity reforms, with political appointees pressing agencies to speed up timelines.
September policy changes sharply narrowed beard exemptions, with Hegseth arguing facial hair can interfere with protective gear; critics say the rules expose troops with pseudofolliculitis barbae—a condition affecting many Black men—to discipline or discharge.
The crackdown fits a broader personnel agenda that has included prayer services at the Pentagon, threats to cut ties with Scouting America, and limits on military participation in fellowships at schools such as Harvard, Yale and MIT.