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Female applicants and haircuts

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
All,

We recently got word from OCS that starting with the upcoming 20Jul OCS class, female officer candidates will not be forced to get their hair cut at OCS. With this change, female applicants should not feel compelled to get their hair cut prior to shipping to OCS in order to avoid getting it chopped at OCS since OCS is no longer cutting the hair of female officer candidates involuntarily.
 

jaimej

Member
All,

We recently got word from OCS that starting with the upcoming 20Jul OCS class, female officer candidates will not be forced to get their hair cut at OCS. With this change, female applicants should not feel compelled to get their hair cut prior to shipping to OCS in order to avoid getting it chopped at OCS since OCS is no longer cutting the hair of female officer candidates involuntarily.
My OR told me this yesterday!!! But he says that no official document has come out, so I won't be surprised if I get there and they butcher it. I made an appointment for two weeks from now to get it all cut off, so I would have time to get used to it, but now I don't know what to do!
 

Spekkio

He bowls overhand.
Absurd. Some candidates, male and female, benefit from learning that your haircut is inconsequential and you are not a special snowflake. It's an important part of the training.

So women are spared the scissors because of who knows why (hurt feelings? looks too boyish?), while men still have to walk around with scratches all over their scalps from the quick unguarded shaves they get every two weeks?

If this were reversed, there'd be an IG investigation into the command about following EEOP laws and the CO would be relieved for cause before the investigation was complete.
 

Bergers2short

Well-Known Member
None
While I'm not sure my opinion on the fairness of the new policy, there is one big benefit to no haircuts that I see. Female candidates get their hair cut just above their shoulders to be in reg (can't go below the bottom of the back of the collar) and have to keep it that way through training. Most women grow their hair out immediately upon leaving OCS. Theres a time period when your hair is just out of regs when down and it is also damn impossible to keep in a real bun. So what happens? Brand new female Ensigns show up to their new commands looking like dirtbags with some god awful mix between a messy bun and short ponytail. At least this way the OCs can learn how to wear their hair in a squared away manner and show up to their first commands in regulations.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
They did this on the enlisted side quite a while ago (not sure if still in effect) but many of the women ended up cutting their hair anyway because it was just much easier to deal with.
 

Spekkio

He bowls overhand.
While I'm not sure my opinion on the fairness of the new policy, there is one big benefit to no haircuts that I see. Female candidates get their hair cut just above their shoulders to be in reg (can't go below the bottom of the back of the collar) and have to keep it that way through training. Most women grow their hair out immediately upon leaving OCS. Theres a time period when your hair is just out of regs when down and it is also damn impossible to keep in a real bun. So what happens? Brand new female Ensigns show up to their new commands looking like dirtbags with some god awful mix between a messy bun and short ponytail. At least this way the OCs can learn how to wear their hair in a squared away manner and show up to their first commands in regulations.
I could make the same argument about mustaches. They gonna stop making everyone shave at OCS?

"Sir, this officer candidate believes he should be treated like a special snowflake so that he doesn't show up to his next command looking like a pre-pubescent rapist!"
 

IRfly

Registered User
None
Sometimes I start a useless argument on the internet, but then realize that I'm about to start a useless argument on the internet. Undelete it if you want.

It's a thoroughly appropriate way to start OCS and your Naval Career--getting hit with reality right up front: "Males, you go over here and pay for the privilege of being forcefully shorn."
"Ladies...Ladies, anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable?"
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
But it's not an argument if you're right!

I undeleted it. It's a fair question.
 

jaimej

Member
A Woman's hair is her glory. I didn't come up with that on my own. It's not that I didn't want to cut my hair into a boyish style, I just have super curly hair and I was concerned about how I was going to be in regs when it could could only be 2 inches from my scalp. I also think a bun is easier than having my hair all over my head for PT. Lastly, I understand the lessons that can be learned from making one cut their hair, especially females. I also think the thought alone of cutting my hair that short has made me contemplate vanity, individuality, uniformity, and femininity.
 

jaimej

Member
Your hair is your glory, really? Just because someone said it doesn't mean it is true or worth indulging.
It's actually in 1st Corinthians in the Bible. Because of my faith, I choose to take it as truth and indulge. But that's a whole other discussion... Don't get me wrong, I would get a Mr. Clean baldy if it meant becoming a Naval Officer. I just wouldn't like it very much. I am happy they have changed the policy, but hair would never keep me from commissioning.
 

klamsy

Monday monkey lives for the weekend, sir.
pilot
Contributor
I doubt it'd go over well to make women completely shave their heads and you can't make us shave our faces, so there's not a whole lot you can do to us. If you want to make females look and feel undignified and gross in solidarity with the males, chopping off a bunch of hair in the most hideous way possible isn't a bad way to do it, though the chop actually makes it easier to get ready in the morning.
I'm not an OCS grad so I don't really have an opinion, but FWIW getting your hair into a reg bun takes a sec if you're not used to it. From a practical standpoint, it makes sense to have females get used to doing it properly since most will probably wear their hair that way for most of their careers anyway. And as your hair grows out from the chop it looks very sloppy and unprofessional. I have frizzy hair and I could gel/spray it into a helmet and it still wouldn't stay in regs until it grew long enough to put into a proper bun. That's a little different from a male ENS who wants to grow a pornstache having it look like peach fuzz for a week or two, or who has to wait for his pre-OCS flow to grow back.
 

ea6bflyr

Working Class Bum
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Equal rights = equal hair cut?
gi-jane-workout-shaving-her-head.jpg
 
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