Military members still required to wear proper ‘high and tight’ haircut amid pandemic

Coronavirus has prevented most Americans from getting haircuts, but some military members are not exempt from getting their traditional cuts.

That’s the conclusion made by Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, who said all military branches should keep their existing haircuts, according to NPR.

He was questioned about the matter after video surfaced on military website Task and Purpose of a long line of Marines waiting to meet their grooming standards at a barber on Camp Pendleton in California. The Marines appeared to be standing close to one another, and many were not wearing masks.

Barber shops on the base were ordered to stay open by the commanding general, Camp Pendleton said on Twitter. Other Marine barber shops in North Carolina and Virginia have also stayed open despite orders from their state governors, Task and Purpose reported.

The Army and Navy have closed barber shops on bases, but still must maintain their traditional looks, though the Navy has “relaxed” its standards.

But not for the Marines, who have implemented extra precautions to ensure safety.

“Our mission has not changed, and how we operate has not changed as well,” said Jonathan Gibbs, a civilian police officer with the Provost Marshal’s Office. “What has changed is the proper gear we wear to handle situations.”

Milley supports the Marines’ current haircut policies, saying “discipline is a fundamental function of our force,” according to the Marine Corps Times.

“As the son of a Navy corpsman who hit the beach at Iwo Jima with the 4th Marine division, it took extraordinary discipline to conquer that island with 7,000 Marines killed in 19 and 20 days and put a flag on Suribachi,” Milley said, according to Task and Purpose. “That Marine victory was the result of incredible discipline of America’s 911 force and the expeditionary force. It may seem superficial to some, but getting a haircut is part of that discipline.”

The Army General said he has been cutting his own hair with a “do-it-yourself barber kit,” according to Military.com.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper appeared to be less enthused about some Marine barber shops staying open.

“The commandant, if he’s watching, is probably already on it,” Esper said Tuesday, according to Military.com. “But if he’s not, the chairman is going to give him a call and say, ‘What is going on? What don’t you guys understand? If you need to, suspend haircuts for whatever period of time.’ ”

More than 2,500 U.S. troops have tested positive for coronavirus, according to Business Insider.

This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 11:50 AM with the headline "Military members still required to wear proper ‘high and tight’ haircut amid pandemic."