US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was reportedly frustrated to find multiple sailors sporting beards during a visit to a Navy ship last month, prompting a push from Pentagon leadership to enforce stricter grooming standards even as US-Iran tensions escalated.Hegseth left the ship wondering whether the Pentagon was paying attention to his policy changes, according to a defense official and emails seen by CNN. Shortly after the June visit, officials held meetings stressing that Hegseth was closely monitoring progress on the beard policy and other workplace reforms.“Want to bring to your attention that the SecWar is paying close attention to the progress of the EEO reforms,” a Pentagon official emailed colleagues. “The push is to move faster.”In September, Hegseth issued a memo tightening restrictions on beards and medical-based exemptions, reversing years of policy. “No more beardos,” he told hundreds of top military officers. The memo argued beards were a national security issue because they could prevent service members from safely donning protective equipment against chemical or biological threats.Critics say the policy fails to account for a painful medical condition called pseudofolliculitis barbae, which disproportionately affects Black men. Under the new rules, commanders can discharge personnel who require a shaving waiver after a year of treatment.Hegseth’s changes to grooming standards coincided with a September speech before senior officers at Quantico, where he hammered home the need for change on physical fitness and grooming.
