Muslim rights groups are concerned that new US Army grooming standards will exclude Muslims and Sikhs from serving. There are only about 10,000 – 20,000 US service members who identify as Muslim, and Sikhs appear to number only in the low double digits.
An ancillary effect of the policy is that it reinforces the elimination of accommodations for transgender soldiers, requiring them to dress and meet the standards of their birth gender.
The Army announced updated appearance, grooming, and uniform standards following a force-wide review, emphasizing professionalism and discipline as reflections of Army values. Key changes include clarified rules on hairstyles, cosmetics, fingernails, jewelry, uniforms, insignia, and body composition assessments. Developed with input from leaders across the Army, the policy is intended to realign standards with warfighting priorities and eliminate ambiguity.
The Army also reinforced its facial hair policy in July 2025 through Army Directive 2025-13, requiring soldiers to remain clean-shaven in uniform or while on duty in civilian clothes, with only temporary medical exemptions and permanent religious accommodations.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on the Pentagon to protect the religious rights of military personnel after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new “no beards” policy. Hegseth told military leaders, “no more beards… we’re going to cut our hair, shave our beards and adhere to standards.” CAIR urged the Department of Defense to clarify that religious accommodations will remain in place for Sikhs, Muslims, Jews, and others.
Historically, the rule in the US Army for about 100 years has been that the Army allows religious freedom and will accommodate as much as it can. However, the priority is always the mission, followed by the men, or in Army terms, “mission, men.” While attempts would be made to accommodate religious practices, if a practice prevents a soldier from carrying out duties, then that individual cannot serve.
For example, Jewish soldiers were allowed to wear a yarmulke under their helmet because it did not interfere with equipment. But a beard, even for religious reasons, was not permitted because a protective mask would no longer seal. Similarly, a Sikh turban could not be worn with a combat uniform because it interfered with the helmet and other equipment
From 1948 to 1984, Sikh men were permitted to serve in the US military while wearing beards and turbans. That changed in 1984, when Gen. John A. Wickham Jr., then Chief of Staff of the Army, eliminated the exception for Sikhs and others who wore “conspicuous” items of faith, citing health and safety concerns. The official reasoning was that turbans and uncut hair interfered with helmets and equipment, while beards prevented protective masks from sealing properly.
Civil rights groups later argued that these rules “effectively prevented Sikhs from enlisting” by barring turbans and beards. But that framing is misleading. The policy did not bar Sikhs from service; it simply required them to meet the same standards as every other soldier.
This debate illustrates the conservative/liberal divide. Conservatives see equality as one rule applied to everyone, while liberals see equality as different rules for different groups based on religion, race, gender, or sexual orientation.
Since January 2017, the Army has reversed course and now allows permanent religious accommodations for soldiers to wear beards, turbans, hijabs, and other articles of faith. Beards may be as long as desired, provided they can be rolled up and compressed to less than two inches from the bottom of the chin. Under the current policy, brigade-level commanders can approve these accommodations, whereas previously the authority rested with the Army Secretary. The Army explained the change as part of an effort to ensure soldiers can serve in a manner consistent with their faith and to recruit from the broadest pool of America’s talent.
However, the reasoning behind the old bans has not changed. Studies still show that beard growth degrades the protective seal of gas masks to an unacceptable degree. The rules now state that commanders can order bearded soldiers to shave only when there is specific and concrete evidence of an expected chemical attack, and such orders must come from General Court-Martial Convening Authority-level commanders. In other words, the policy assumes the enemy will politely phone ahead so soldiers have time for a quick shave before the attack.
Some sanity has prevailed, however, as soldiers with a religious accommodation for beards may not attend schools requiring toxic chemical agent training, nor can they be assigned to positions that demand compliance with biological, chemical, or nuclear surety requirements.
The Army also officially allows soldiers to wear turbans in place of issued Army headgear, with these accommodations made permanent in 2017. Soldiers are authorized to wear turbans, and unless their duties require the Army Combat Helmet or other protective gear, they are not required to wear additional military headgear.
During training or deployment, however, when protective equipment is necessary, soldiers must wear the combat helmet or other gear, either over or instead of the turban, whenever the mission requires it.
The new grooming directives also end the Army’s practice of accommodating men who identify as women or vice versa. While most transgender personnel are still allowed to serve, they must do so in their biological sex and meet all related standards. The updated rules establish uniform appearance requirements for all soldiers, specifying that male soldiers are prohibited from wearing cosmetics, nail polish, or earrings except by medical exemption, while female soldiers may wear limited makeup to achieve an even skin tone, clear or skin-tone tinted lip gloss, clear nail polish with fingernails no longer than a quarter inch, and simple stud earrings in certain uniforms.
Commanders are instructed to enforce grooming, uniform, body composition, medical, and physical standards according to biological sex rather than gender identity. In effect, the 2025 policy ensures that all grooming and appearance standards are applied uniformly. This is all part of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s mission to restore the Army to a warfighting force, free of social experiments and liberal ideology.