British Army overturns century-old ban, soldiers finally allowed to grow beards

In a historic rule change approved by the King, soldiers can finally grow beards while serving in the army.

The British Army is allowing beards for the first time in a century, bringing rules in line with those of the Royal Navy and RAF.

It comes after years of debate over facial hair rules, with Defense Secretary Grant Shapps last year calling the century-old ban “ridiculous”.

Chief of the General Staff General Sir Patrick Saunders is said to have made the decision after a review of serving and reserve officers showed an “overwhelming majority” believed the army needed to change policy.

However, beards must be kept neat and tidy and will be reviewed to ensure they comply with Army regulations.

Beards must be between 2.5 mm and 25.5 mm (one inch) long and must be trimmed at the cheekbones and neck, while must have “no patchy or uneven growth” and “no exaggerated color.”

The new policy, which will take effect immediately, will allow soldiers to stop shaving over the Easter holiday and will tell soldiers to check their beards regularly.

Warrant Officer 1st Class Paul Carney announced the rule change in a four-minute message: “Due to the large number of stakeholders involved, including His Majesty the King, our politicians, the results are taking longer than expected Longer.” and our allies.

“CGS [chief of the general staff] After considering your opinions, we have decided to change the appearance policy to allow our officers and soldiers to grow beards. “

But he insisted “standards cannot drop”, adding: “The Army has a reputation among our allies and the British public for professionalism and sensible turnout.

“We have to maintain that reputation by continuing to perform at our best.”

Until then, Mr Shapps said it was time to modernise.

He told The Times that other armies around the world were “fully capable of operating with beards” and criticized the military for taking so long to make the decision.

“The Armed Forces are very picky about whether people have beards or not. Everyone has beards these days. Why are they still struggling to recruit people and just arbitrarily say you can’t join?” [if you grow a beard]. This is ridiculous. It’s time to modernize,” he said.

The Royal Navy has long allowed sailors to grow beards with the commander’s consent, and the RAF changed regulations in 2019 to allow beards.