This is a branch of the military we are talking about. The enemy is coming over the hill. Here's a rifle. There's your foxhole. Go!

As long as they can take care of it, no problem. But when fashion affects performance, the clippers come out.

Actually a lot of effort was put into remediation of all ranks. I was called fat on more than one occasion but always passed any physical test. In fact, when I got so old I had to do the ergometer test instead, they could not even get me on to the baseline of the graph at max load. It is an error to judge purely by appearance. Moreover, moderns wars are won by more then running around carrying heavy things. Perhaps there should be an intelligence test too? :)

It's when this happens you know the system is failing

https://news.sky.com/story/troops-us...-test-10430081

It's called OASC. It's surprising how many pass and fail later.

. Odd isn’t it? You can sack someone because they can’t run around fast enough but not for being thick.

At some point it pays to be wise rather than bright as being un-wise is a sure fire way to be found to be plain thick.

when the US forces changes to hair regs were recently brought into force, there were many posts on Twitter by women service members about the headaches they would now be spared by having a choice other than hauling their hair into a sufficiently tight bun on a daily basis.

And why was the woman in the middle sporting what appear to be SAC shoulder tabs and an officers' hat?

BristolScout
 

Either that was a feeble attempt at a Waah or an attempt to demonstrate your requirement for corrective lenses.

BV

Should have gone to Specsavers (and read preceding posts). That is a WO hat and matching Tate & Lyle badge.

https://www.pprune.org/military-avia...-secetary.html

Minister of Defence announcement suggests major policy decision regarding Typhoon replacement, with obvious implications for national security and the broader national defence industry = 7 replies.
Royal Air Force tweet regarding deregulation of women's hair, with obvious implications regarding personal hygiene and hat-wearing = 50 replies.

The former is already decided- it won't happen; the latter is topical and potentially stroke-inducing in the GOMs, so= fun. Easy really.

CG

Isn’t it obvious?
A landing strip.

Just as a matter of interest: is there a RAF Male hair policy...?? Just curious....:

used to see that poster with a bloke with a short back and sides, looked like it was from the 50s, still on a noticeboard near you well into the noughties!

From sitting in the crew room here, I think bald on top, grey and short at the sides is the standard...

Yes. The SWO will explain it.

Some hair care products are extremely flammable . The last thing you need are preventable injuries .

The guinea pig club is a club to avoid joining .

And don't leave peanut butter on your bushy moustache when you go to altitude on your high-speed - the 100% oxy set one man's mo on fire.

That was the era and the swedes managed, too

https://www.nytimes.com/1971/05/17/a...-soldiers.html
“Long hair is a break in the military style,” acknowledged the colonel, a short‐back‐andside man himself. “I personally do not think it is beautiful, and the Minister of Defense does not think it is beautiful.
“But practically every boy in Stockholm has long hair. Hair is a personality matter, and they should do as they want with it. There is no discipline problem. We have boys with long hair fighting and shooting and jumping in the water.
“We say it is not what is in the hair but what is under the hair.
“All we ask,” he continued with a sigh of resignation, “is that it be combed and clean.”
New regulations provide that company commanders set out in company orders the names of the youths who may be required to wear hairnets. It is then up to the platoon leader to decide just when the men should put up their hair, and he orders the net on or off.

Then, fast forward 40+ years, and the Norwegians are at it: https://www.thelocal.com/20130809/no...wed-ponytails/