Comments on: Help Needed-Hair Discrimination In the Military

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:17:54 +0000

I just found this site, and it really brought light to my issue. I am a 24 year old African American female who decided about two years ago to go natural due to the fact that the chemicals were destroying my hair. My hair was thinning and falling out, but because of the locs, i have healthy growing hair. Now I want to join the Military but I’m having trouble deciding because I have locs.

I will not put chemicals in my hair at all, and refuse to wear a wig; I’ve come to love my hair and so does everyone else. My locs are small in diameter, and are short in length, I just don’t understand…but I really want to join, so I may have to resort to two strand twists (which i love). But I hope that this changes, because it just seems like my hair is not conforming to the mold, being that is isn’t straight.

I do however understand, that the hair needs to fit under the gear, but what about women who have extremely thick hair? Do they have trouble fitting their helmets etc? I guess my biggest issue is knowing that locs were acceptable at one point but now are not. That I just don’t get. This is THE only reason why it’s so hard for me to decide to join. Women want to feel beautiful; men want to feel strong. Why take away my beauty just because it’s different?

By: NICK

NICK — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:38:08 +0000

Hi, I am in the USAF and have been for 19 years. Where the problem comes in is in the waves. AFI 36-2903 states you can not have fadish hair cuts. The Corn rows in their own would be ok, but when the waves were put in. This should have been corrected by any NCO or Officer. Now, at that time the Airman was most likely reprimanded and given 2 choices, correct the deficiency, or not correct the deficiency. Once she chose not to correct the deficiency, she was in violation of the UCMJ and most likely a lawful order given by her commander. Once she broke the lawful order, prossicution is evident, whether judicial or non-judicial. Going outside the military channels to petition a change would only make her in further in derilection of duty and at this point, she is attempting to circumvent her chain of command and the military judicial system.

I personally have no issues with this hair style, but we as Airmen in the USAF have standards that are set and must be followed and not necessarely understood by the civilian community. If any article of the UCMJ is broken, it MUST be addressed. By the time your daughter is recommended for prossicution/discharge, she most likely has been defiant after several attempst to correct this issue. If she is un-willing to correct the deficiency, then she would be most suited outside the military ranks. Just an opinion of an USAF loving NCO.

By: Kitty

Kitty — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:41:28 +0000

My daughter, a high school senior, has enlisted in the AF. We learned today that locs have been deemed “a fad” and are no longer allowed in the AF. She is devastated. Her first recruiter gave mis-information and told her that she could keep her locs as long as they were “neat, in a pony tail and kept above her collar.” Not true. She was recently informed by a more knowledgeable recruiter that it is against regulation and she must cut her hair. She has had locs for 10 years and has never had chemical processing. Unfortunately to make it through basic she will have to do with a ‘boy cut’. Beyond that it will be a long road for her to style her hair in a natural way for the next (4) years. I came across this site while researching and confirming the “new regulation”. It is so disappointing the ignorance of those making the “regulations”.

By: kat

kat — Sun, 10 May 2009 06:05:30 +0000

I wanted to join the military so bad when I was younger. My parents were totally against it, and went out of their way to bring service men to our home (we lived in a military town)to tell me about how it was nothing like what we’re told-by both high school ROTC instructors and recruiters.

So glad I didn’t go through with it.

By: Unique Lisa

Unique Lisa — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:20:49 +0000

I found the soldier in question’s hair to be neat and respectful. That is what our soldiers are told to be. I find it a shame that while fighting a war for other countries to develop democracy, we at home cannot fight the lack of cultural understanding that is so prevalent. To expect anyone male or female, of any race or cultural background, to fit into an impossible mold, is like trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. We need to expand our view and definition of professionalism to include everyone who strives to meet that goal. I myself am not African American, but I feel this kind of discrimmination hurts everyone, because we all have differences that make us unique.

By: Ken

Ken — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:54:09 +0000

I served our country for over 12 years on active duty. I was an NCO and have always believed that as long as the soldier’s hair is neat in appearance, above the collar, and not a disgrace to the uniform, that soldier should be allowed to wear it as desired. Let me point out also that the soldier in question does not have dreadlocks but has what is known as cornrows which appears to be neat and well groomed.

By: PrincessJoyZmine

PrincessJoyZmine — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 07:06:20 +0000

Hey Im thinking about joining the Army and even though my locs are shorter than hers, I was going to do a similar style …what ever happened to her and her case? Is she still in the military? Did they discharge her? Cuz I respect the military but they need to respect me too I think. Shoot me a repl or leave a comment please? Pjoyzmine.8307@yahoo.com Please? Im tryin to go in in January…Obama needs help:-)

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:20:36 +0000

Nowdays women want tobe treated equal men have to get their hair buzzcut so why shouldn’t women too? It’s only fair.

By: Haven Whalen

Haven Whalen — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:09:11 +0000

# 1 you can get dishonorable disharge w/ out a courtmarchal
and if it came down to it you would get a general discharge under honorable, trust me I have seen it happen. meaning you keep all you benifits and loose nothing. as long as you get a general discharge that all employers care about.
# 2 you as a woman cannot wear you hair in a pony tail( or pig tails)
# 3 if you have long hair is must be pulled a way and up in a bun
I never went through any of this when I was in the Navy and when I can in 2002 Dreadlocks or locks were not exceptible then. all of us girls wore our hair braided strait back, no design if there was our hair had to come down and start over and that was at boot camp. The only time I had a problem was I was tired of brading my hair and keeping it so I cut it all off and it was less than one inch. My chef did not see a problem with because I did not shave my head. And before I signed my contract i lloked into what I could and could not do with my body that included my hair. If you complain about your hair you should have never joined because the no dreadlocks. no twist or locking of the hair has been in efect for 20 + years. You signed a contract get over and fall in line.

By: GhAnJa

GhAnJa — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:43:03 +0000

ARMY: WTF ARE YOU DOING…BLACK WOMEN HAVE NATURAL HAIR AND WE NEED TO BRAID IT UP OR LOC IT OTHERWISE ITS AN AFRO…CANT PERM IT CAUSE WHEN WERE SENT OFF TO WAR THEN IT JUST GROWS OUT INTO AN…AFRO. GET OVER THIS AND ALLOW US TO DREAD OUR HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(saying this as the wife of a soldier and a future draftee that is seriously confused as to what in the hell I am supposed to do with regulations that rule my natural hair out of appropriateness