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New Dress Regs 🤣

So what we thinking about the new regs? I don’t know much about True North as a source.

MCpl I’m friends with said he’s growing his hair out and dyeing it neon pink lol.
 
So what we thinking about the new regs? I don’t know much about True North as a source.

MCpl I’m friends with said he’s growing his hair out and dyeing it neon pink lol.

I’m out, so my opinion doesn’t matter anyway, but a solid ‘meh’ from me. Some people will end up looking like idiots, but that’s on them. Many more will be able to have a slightly greater sense of individuality, in a way that won’t hinder operations. As long as the troops get on with the work when it’s there to be done.
 
So what we thinking about the new regs? I don’t know much about True North as a source.

MCpl I’m friends with said he’s growing his hair out and dyeing it neon pink lol.
It's the same as most. Other sources have also posted the slidedeck
 
So what we thinking about the new regs? I don’t know much about True North as a source.

MCpl I’m friends with said he’s growing his hair out and dyeing it neon pink lol.

Much a do about nothing if you ask me.

The hair regs have been bogus for ever.

I don't expect to see big changes. Longer hair sure. Maybe some diff colors but meah. It's all a big nothing burger to me.
 
Much a do about nothing if you ask me.

The hair regs have been bogus for ever.

I don't expect to see big changes. Longer hair sure. Maybe some diff colors but meah. It's all a big nothing burger to me.
It will be like BEARDFORGEN, people will go a bit crazy at first, then settle into what they are comfortable with.

Look at how many people started a beard because they were allowed to grow one, then realized that it had it's drawbacks and shaved. That said, if the new regs allow for 3-4 day growth, I'll be investing in a nice trimmer, and ditching the razor until I need to shave for operational reasons.
 
People will colour their hair and grow it to whatever lengths out of rebellion and attention rather than personal identity. Plus they’ll look like idiots with pink hair anyway.
 
People will colour their hair and grow it to whatever lengths out of rebellion and attention rather than personal identity. Plus they’ll look like idiots with pink hair anyway.
That phase will happen in the first few weeks then will calm itself when things become normal.
 
@Halifax Tar You'd just be surprised how often this comes up, and how many different people try and run around it. I like my beard too, but it's pretty hard to argue with the test results, so I just shave when I might have to mask up.

Was recently inferred that I was racist, anti-religious or generally intolerant (was a bit unclear who they thought I was discriminating against) for being opposed to religious accomodations/medical chits for beards with SCBA. I don't care if they get either or, just don't want anyone to get hurt, and we had a number of near misses already, so you can't plan on letting someone where a beard with an SCBA and go do firefighting.

The RCN: We want to make evidence based decisions!

Also the RCN : We don't agree with your evidence, and....uh tradition!

In this case it's not even in their swimlane to make the call (which is good) but always fun telling a GOFO it's not in their authority to do something.
You can get non flammable jelly and seal the SCBA - that is what some folks down here who are attached to their beards do when doing mandatory SCBA refreshers.
 
I used to have long hair, it was a pain in the ass, hard to keep clean and I don't miss it. I'm sure some folks will find out that it's just a lot easier to have short hair, but I do appreciate having the option (at least in the winter). Similarly facial hair is okay in the winter, but drives me nuts when it gets warm out, but will like having the option to have a goatee and/or sideburns.

Some people will go nuts, most won't really care one way or the other, and if someone has a bit of fun dyeing their hair or messing around with their style who cares? It's still pretty easy to keep things neat and tidy and look professional if you just do some proper grooming.

Facial tattoos are still job limiting though, so hopefully people give that a bit of thought ahead of time if they ever want to get a job outside the military, but really that is a personal problem.

My only concern is that people that should know better will leave it up to lower level units to figure out he 'operational requirements' bit instead of giving clear direction, and folks will get hurt as a result. For the Navy, should be pretty straightforward that if you are on a ship not in the dock and you may be responding to a fire, you need to be clean shaven, but from firsthand experience a lot of people will play silly games and try and Philadelphia lawyer their way around it. The folks at the working level that get dragged into it have way too much to do as it is, so it will waste a lot of people's time if there isn't some kind of NAVFORGEN to clarify things.

@KevinB that doesn't work when you start moving around and sweating; the testing we did was both at rest, and then working (I think on a treadmill) to see what happens when you are moving around and sweating. If it gets hot enough to start releasing flammable vapours things have gone wrong anyway, but that's something to pass a check in the box instead of a safe option in the real thing.

Lot of variability by people's face shape, hair coarseness, facial hair density, length etc but no one managed to keep a seal when working in SCBA after a few days growth. Some were okay on the at rest test, but everyone failed the working portion, which is where you'd actually be exposed to the toxic fire gases (which can be superheated).

People that lose a seal will run out of air fast. At best, you retreat to a safe area, which means that whatever you were tasked to do with is delayed and someone else has to do it. Maybe that means a fire burns longer, gets bigger, and puts everyone at risk. Worse case, you become a casualty in the space, your wingers try and get you out, and whatever you were tasked to do is still not happening. Ships are tight quarters, with small openings, nearly vertical stairs and no good way to get someone out, so you put both yourselves, your winger, and everyone else at risk. Unless someone comes up with some kind of hood that seals somewhere other than the jawline, requiring shaving as an operational requirement for anyone that needs an SCBA is really a no-brainer.
 
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You can get non flammable jelly and seal the SCBA - that is what some folks down here who are attached to their beards do when doing mandatory SCBA refreshers.
You can, still not approved for use. Just like personal tac vests and non-issue ballistic eyewear.
 
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