no patchy or uneven growth
"Beards are now allowed for people with photogenic beard genes"
this post was submitted on 30 Mar 2024
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There was a death, a few years ago, of a soldier whose breathing-mask didn't seal, because of facial-hair.
It isn't a political issue, it is a capability & safety issue.
IF facial-hair prevents proper-sealing of a breathing-apparatus,
THEN that facial-hair cannot be permitted among those who need to be able to function in those masks.
Period.
Politics can quit highjacking issues: it costs lives when consequences happen.
i think it's nice letting them choose whether to wear a beard or survive. no need to be rude and force them.
There was a death, a few years ago, of a soldier whose breathing-mask didn’t seal, because of facial-hair.
Do you have any details? I couldn't find a news article on it.
I started googling because I believed the seal would have been broken, but it turns out that SFU did a study in 2018 and concluded that beards do not conflict with the seal. It is a really short article, I encourage a quick gloss!
While that article concludes the old policy was held-up by outdated research and old equipment, I found a more political take in American articles so I thought I'd share it as well.
I am both referring to this article as well as this vet blog
The main problem with eradicating beard-mask policy in the US seems to be an ego issue with command. A quote regarding retired Chief Master Sgt. Kaleth Wright,
Wright said he took that position despite suffering from shaving irritation himself. He eventually learned how to shave in a way that would not irritate his skin, so he believed that if airmen with shaving waivers just did what he had done then they could be clean-shaven too.
“I was willfully ignorant about the impact it was having on young Black men,” he said. “Some of it was because I just ignored it, some of it was because I wanted these young men to do what I did: just suck it up and figure it out and you’ll be fine.”
I don't follow British politics too much so I'm curious to what degree this sentiment is paralleled by high-ranking officials. It was hard enough to find that SFU article, so I'll clock out here.
Finally, I also found some interesting pubs I'd love to share as well that seem to support high FFE when masks are properly secured even with a beard. The first one has a funny picture, I implore you to treat yourself with Fig. 1
Assessing the effect of beard hair lengths on face masks & Influence of facial hair... of a tight-fitting half-face respirator
Any source for that incident? Chemical warfare has been pretty uncommon in modern conflicts an in my experience I've been able to get a seal with a beard. I've heard the base line claim of beard = bad seal before, but I'm uncertain that it's a considerable danger today.
You could still have beard and then just shave if you're actually going to war.
It's political correctness gone mad!