Pentagon has decided to ease its uniform rules to allow religious wear including turbans, skullcaps, beards and tattoos, officials have said.
Muslim, Sikh, Jewish and Wiccan soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen can now request exemptions to strict military uniform and grooming policies.
Requests will be evaluated individually and can be denied if they hinder military readiness.
Previously, at least three Sikhs had won specific accommodation.
Pentagon has decided to ease its uniform rules to allow religious wear including turbans, skullcaps, beards and tattoos
Service members’ requests for a religious accommodation will be weighed on a case-by-case basis to ensure they do not impact “mission accomplishment, unit cohesion, and good order and discipline”.
And appeals to be allowed to wear beards or special apparel, for example, may be denied if they hinder the safe operation of weapons or military equipment, such as helmets or protective masks.
An accommodation will only apply to the service member’s current assignment, requiring him or her to obtain new exemptions with every transfer.
The new policy, in effect on Wednesday, will extend to all religions recognized by the US military across all branches.
The US military counts nearly 3,700 Muslims and 1,500 Wiccans among its ranks, according to statistics reported by NBC News, but it remains unclear how many will apply for dispensations.
Duck Dynasty’s Missy Robertson revealed she’s not a big fan of husband Jase’s iconic beard.
In a recent interview with InTouch magazine, Missy Robertson said she’s not a huge fan of her husband’s signature beard.
Missy Robertson revealed she’s not a big fan of husband Jase’s iconic beard
“I’d much rather have the face that I fell in love with,” Missy Robertson said.
“He says, <<When the show is over, I’m shaving!>> .”
Hundreds of contestants have gathered for the World Beard and Moustache Championships in Germany.
The 2013 World Beard and Moustache Championships take place on November 2, 2013 in Leinfelden-Echterdingen.
Entrants were competing for the best facial hair in a range of categories.
Hundreds of contestants have gathered for the World Beard and Moustache Championships in Germany
Organizer Juergen Burkhardt said the turnout was better than expected.
The World Beard and Moustache Championships will return to America in September 2014 with Portland, Oregon, serving as host city. This will be the third bearding worlds to take place in America.
Carson City, Nevada hosted the event in 2003 and Anchorage, Alaska did so in 2009.
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Duck Dynasty stars Willie and Korie Robertson opened up about their family’s fame, faith, and facial hair in a recent interview with Us Weekly.
With the exception of new addition Alan Robertson, the men of Duck Dynasty – Phil Robertson, his brother Si Robertson, and his sons Willie, Jase, and Jep Robertson – are as famous for their beards as for their duck-call business
“Phil has the classic, mature beard,” Willie Robertson said of his father.
Willie and Korie Robertson open up about their family’s fame, faith, and facial hair in a recent interview with Us Weekly
“Jase’s is kind of red – it’s weird, like him! Jep grooms his the most: He’s got all these special lotions and perfumes that he puts on.”
In fact, Jep Robertson has been known to shampoo, condition, and even blow-dry his impressive facial hair. In that way, he’s the opposite of his uncle.
“Si’s beard is really awkward,” Willie Robertson reveals.
“One side is longer than the other, and it’s about three different colors. I don’t think he washes it. It’s nasty.”
Willie Robertson says the best beard of the bunch is his own.
“Willie was clean-shaven and actually a bit preppy when we got married,” Korie Robertson told Us Weekly.
“Now I absolutely love his beard and don’t want him to go back!”
The men of Duck Dynasty reality show all sport awesomely wild and bushy beards, but there was a time in the distant past when you could see their faces before they grew in the shaggy facial hair.
Left: Jase Robertson and his wife Missy posing for a photo on their wedding day
Right: Twenty years later and Jase and Missy Robertson are still happily married.
Jase Robertson without beard
The men of Duck Dynasty reality show all sport awesomely wild and bushy beards, but there was a time in the distant past when you could see their faces before they grew in the shaggy facial hair.
Willie Robertson without beard
Left: Willie Robertson is all business in the front and party in the back as a student at Louisiana State University.
Right: Nowadays, Willie Robertson is the CEO of Duck Commander. As the only Robertson with a business degree, he took the company from a living room operation down by the river to a premiere destination for all things outdoors. Willie Robertson says “being a redneck millionaire has its perks,” including buying new trucks, gadgets, and swanky suits, working with kin can be a headache.
The men of Duck Dynasty reality show all sport awesomely wild and bushy beards, but there was a time in the distant past when you could see their faces before they grew in the shaggy facial hair.
Si Robertson without beard
Left: Get a load of Uncle Si sans specs and beard! Didn’t Si Robertson look dapper when he was in the military?
Right: Si Robertson’s most famous war story as a Vietnam veteran is that while serving overseas, his mother sent him a blue mug. Thirty years later, it’s still hanging from his back pocket and Si Robertson continues to only drink from this cup, every day.
The men of Duck Dynasty reality show all sport awesomely wild and bushy beards, but there was a time in the distant past when you could see their faces before they grew in the shaggy facial hair.
Phil Robertson without beard
Left: This young boy grew up to become Phil Robertson: Duck Commander.
Right: Phil Robertson’s love for the outdoors and duck hunting lead him to create the Duck Commander Duck Call in 1973, forgoing a career in the NFL. During the ten-week duck hunting season, Phil Robertson follows a strict routine of no showering, no shaving, and no clothes washing of any kind to ensure a bountiful haul.
Ram Singh Chauhan from India has the world’s longest moustache, which is officially recorded by Guinness World Records as 4.29 m (14 ft) long.
Here Ram Singh Chauhan offers five tips of his secret.
1. Start growing early – as soon as you can. Ram Singh Chauhan, now 54, started growing his moustache in 1970 – facial hair grows fastest in one’s youth, he says.
“As you grow old your hormones grow weak, so the speed slows down.”
And, of course, he has never cut it, “apart from trimming around the lip area”.
Steve Parsons of the British-based Handlebar Club seconds this advice, as a young man’s facial hair is more durable than that of an elderly man.
“As moustache hair goes white it starts to become more brittle and is more likely break off,” says Steve Parsons
2. Groom it well. Ram Singh Chauhan spends an hour every day cleaning and combing his moustache.
“I massage it and oil it regularly and I wash it every 10 days which takes a long time,” he says. “My wife helps me.” He uses a coconut-based hair oil.
Ram Singh Chauhan from India has the world's longest moustache, which is officially recorded by Guinness World Records as 4.29 m (14 ft) long
Steve Parsons, who himself sports an elaborate handlebar moustache, recommends leave-in conditioner as an antidote for troublesome split ends.
“You can also use pomades or beeswax but that requires a good wash to get it out. Our advice? Dip it in beer on a regular basis,” he says.
Rod Littlewood, vice-president of the World Beard and Moustache Association, says it’s best for the moustachioed to avoid eating some food in public.
“Candy floss is a horror!”
3. Get your family on side. Ram Singh Chauhan’s wife Asha says they used to fight over his moustache in the early years.
“He used to take a long time to get ready, to wash and also people used to stare at him,” she says. She didn’t feel comfortable. But later, as he started getting recognition for his long moustache, she started to like it and to respect his commitment. Now, she says, the moustache is like a part of the family and she shares his pride in it.
Steve Parsons, meanwhile, admits that his wife is not the greatest fan of his lip furniture, but he has a good riposte: “I always say kissing a man without a moustache is like drinking champagne without the bubbles.”
4. Endure any discomfort. Ram Singh Chauhan says life is not easy with such a long moustache. When it was shorter, he used to wrap it around his ears. Now it’s longer, he wraps it around his neck.
Sleeping can be uncomfortable but he says there’s no gain without pain and he wouldn’t want it any other way. “I am special with my moustache, and I have never dreamt of being without it.”
The Movember charity, which encourages men to grow their moustaches in November to raise awareness of men’s health issues, acknowledges that new moustaches can be itchy when they start growing.
Movember co-founder JC advises men to ignore the itch and be brave.
“Remind yourself that other men have endured worse in the past. Surely you can stand a little face tickle from your mo?”
5. Don’t be a slave to fashion. When he was younger, Ram Singh Chauhan says, moustaches were very much in vogue in his home country. He earned a lot of respect from fellow students at college, but finds the youth of today have little interest in facial hair.
“My own son doesn’t have one,” he says regretfully.
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