<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div>Now, let me see if I have this right . . .</div><div><br></div><div>In the Army, male soldiers may not grow sideburns, but in the Navy male sailors are permitted (maybe even encouraged) to wear earrings? HUH ? ? ?</div><div><br></div>Courtesy of <i>Military.com</i> at:<div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/09/01/navy-shakes-its-uniform-policy-new-haircuts-well-allowing-earrings-men.html?ESRC=eb_210902.nl">https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/09/01/navy-shakes-its-uniform-policy-new-haircuts-well-allowing-earrings-men.html?ESRC=eb_210902.nl</a></div><div><br></div><div>————————————————-</div><div><br></div><div><h1 style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.25em; color: rgb(41, 43, 44); caret-color: rgb(41, 43, 44); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span property="schema:name" style="box-sizing: inherit;">The Navy Shakes Up Its Uniform Policy with New Haircuts as Well as Allowing Earrings for Men</span></h1></div><div><br></div><div><p style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">The Navy is changing its<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.military.com/topics/navy-uniforms" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-skip: objects; touch-action: manipulation;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 82, 155);">uniform</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>policy, relaxing some requirements that include an expansion of the allowed hairstyles sailors can have as well as some changes to the rules surrounding the uniforms themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(41, 43, 44); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">Effective immediately, male sailors can have flat-tops, high and tight, faded and bald hairstyles, the Navy said in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Messages/NAVADMIN/NAV2021/NAV21183.txt?ver=aAzH8850PXz5XCKbTUdKCQ%3d%3d" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-skip: objects; touch-action: manipulation;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 82, 155);">an administrative message</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>issued Tuesday. Sideburns also are allowed, though not for let the sailors.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44); background-color: white;">Meanwhile, female sailors will now be allowed to have “very short length hairstyles that show the scalp” to include one shaved sideI of the head, the message said. Women cannot have “bald hairstyles” unless there’s a medical reason.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44); background-color: white;">Many of the changes come as a result of “sailor feedback during uniform and grooming standards focus and working groups held in the fleet,” the Navy </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/2759888/navy-updates-hairstyles-and-policies-in-extensive-uniform-update/" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 82, 155);">said in a statement</span></a><span style="color: rgb(41, 43, 44); background-color: white;">.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">Rob Carroll, who is in charge of uniform matters on the staff of the chief of naval personnel, specifically said in the statement that the changes to women’s hairstyles were implemented to give “women more options for greater ease on hair care, especially while on deployment when longer styles can be tougher to maintain.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(41, 43, 44); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">“Female Sailors have been asking for this flexibility,” he added.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(41, 43, 44); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">In addition to hairstyles, the new rules make a variety of smaller but notable changes to uniform rules.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(41, 43, 44); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">Male sailors are now allowed to wear earrings out of uniform on leave or liberty, women can now wear heels up to 3 inches in height in uniform, up from 2 5/8 inches, and rules on eyeglasses and sunglasses colors have been relaxed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(41, 43, 44); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">“There are just so many options available today for glasses and we needed to get some standardization of appearance in uniform,” Carroll said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(41, 43, 44); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">Sailors “whose legal names contain accents can now have them reflected in name tags, name patches, or name tapes on Navy uniforms.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(41, 43, 44); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">The new regulation also lets sailors wear smartwatches and fitness trackers as watches, but the message notes that they "are subject to applicable security regulations," alluding to the fact that many contain GPS and cellular technology.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(41, 43, 44); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">Though the Navy did not explicitly cite diversity or inclusion as reasons behind some of the changes, Carroll noted that they got “feedback” from sailors on some of these policies during the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/2298130/task-force-one-navy-established-to-combat-discrimination-in-the-navy/" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-skip: objects; touch-action: manipulation;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 82, 155);">Navy’s anti-discrimination “Task Force One Navy”</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>listening sessions throughout 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(41, 43, 44); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">“TF1N did not drive the policy changes, but it can be noted that some of the changes align with the Navy’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives,” he added.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(41, 43, 44); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">The Navy is not the only branch to loosen rules on hair styles in recent months. In January, 2021,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/01/26/army-oks-long-ponytails-buzz-cuts-women-grooming-standards-overhaul.html" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-skip: objects; touch-action: manipulation;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 82, 155);">the Army began allowing women</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: rgb(0, 82, 155); text-decoration: none;"> </span></span></a>to sport ponytails and buzzcuts. The Air Force gave their service members<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/01/21/air-force-allow-female-airmen-wear-longer-braids-ponytails.html" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-skip: objects; touch-action: manipulation;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 82, 155);">permission to wear longer braids</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and bangs in the same month</span></p></div><div>————————————————<br><br>My Army photo (1985) . . . You will notice the lack of sideburns . . . (and earrings).</div><div><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/Photos/DA_Photo_1185.jpg">http://www.tomandrodna.com/Photos/DA_Photo_1185.jpg</a></div><div><br><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">http://www.MoscowCares.net</span></div><div><br></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><br></div><div>“A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.”</div><div>- Roy E. Stolworthyof </div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>