The Navy will no longer require women to cut their hair at boot camp
The U.S. Navy announced Thursday that, at least for the time being, it won't require female recruits to cut their hair upon arrival at boot camp.
In a statement, the Navy said the move is "an effort to standardize training and education across the military services." The haircut ban will go into effect for the first three months of 2015.
Time reports that the announcement comes after female sailors complained that having short hair hindered their preparation for having longer hairstyles after graduating from boot camp.
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"Grooming standards education will be incorporated into the curriculum, but will not impact other training," the Navy explained in a statement. "This will allow women to style longer hair in the same manner that they would wear it daily in the Fleet while providing the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the standards before transferring to the Fleet."
To see what female hairstyles are acceptable in the Navy, check out this handy website.
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Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
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