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The US military is in the process of changing fitness standards, mostly for ideological reasons [0]. Most enlisted I’ve spoken to consider the new tests harder,

The US military is in the process of changing fitness standards, mostly for ideological reasons [0]. Most enlisted I’ve spoken to consider the new tests harder, especially for women, but it isn’t clear cut and implementation across services has been weird. Rumor is they’re also cracking down on (specifically medical, not religious) shaving waviers again, probably because some minorities have a skin condition that makes regular shaving painful. So it’s a bit of a conundrum! They obviously want more enlisted so they can do more wars in more places, but they also are adding disincentives for female or nonwhite enlisted. [0] https://www.fitnesswarriornation.com/hegseth-military-fitness-standards/ https://www.fitnesswarriornation.com/hegseth-military-fitnes...

aaronbrethorst 7mo ago
It’s a real bummer when your ideological imperatives start conflicting with each other.
- mlrtime 7mo ago
  Poe's law: I can't tell if you are sarcastically commenting on op's ideology.
  - AnimalMuppet 7mo ago
    I suspect that they're commenting on the administration's ideology.
  - deleted 7mo ago
    [deleted]
mlrtime 7mo ago
You are seriously suggestions they are doing this for race reasons?
- TimorousBestie 7mo ago
  There’s no other credible reason. A 1/4” beard (which is all the medical wavier allows) doesn’t affect gas mask fit. I’m hardly the only person who has inferred this: https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2025/september/new-grooming-policy-will-undermine-recruiting-retention-and https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2025/september/ne... > It is estimated that 45–94 percent of all Black men will experience PFB at some point during their lifetime. Hispanic, Asian, and Middle Eastern men also are often affected, as are some women. A 2021 study found an association between shaving waivers and delayed promotions. Since most of the waiver group (65 percent) was Black, the new policy could have a discriminatory effect. In our conversations with Black sailors, including some in senior leadership positions, many shared that they feel the new policy is racially insensitive at best—or may be designed to target them.
  - LMYahooTFY 7mo ago
    You're just frankly uninformed. Shaving waivers have been so abused it's a running joke in the army. It's still trivially easy to have a doctor get you a waiver.
    - array_key_first 7mo ago
      Even if they are abused, their abuse doesn't have any downsides. These people are not growing beards. Also, I don't even think they are necessarily abused. A lot of men are very sensitive to shaving, with degrees of sensitivity. I think there's probably plenty of guys who have perpetual razor burn and ingrown hairs and nobody cares.
      - LMYahooTFY 7mo ago
        No idea what you're basing these thoughts on, but I don't think you understand the military or what makes it effective. The reasons grooming standards are enforced are the same reasons anything is enforced.
Bender 7mo ago
have a skin condition that makes regular shaving painful. Pseudofolliculitis barbae [1] or PFB was a regular issue for some I served with in the 90's. [1] - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6585396/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6585396/

aaronbrethorst 7mo ago

It’s a real bummer when your ideological imperatives start conflicting with each other.

mlrtime 7mo ago
Poe's law: I can't tell if you are sarcastically commenting on op's ideology.
- AnimalMuppet 7mo ago
  I suspect that they're commenting on the administration's ideology.
- deleted 7mo ago
  [deleted]

mlrtime 7mo ago

You are seriously suggestions they are doing this for race reasons?

TimorousBestie 7mo ago
There’s no other credible reason. A 1/4” beard (which is all the medical wavier allows) doesn’t affect gas mask fit. I’m hardly the only person who has inferred this: https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2025/september/new-grooming-policy-will-undermine-recruiting-retention-and https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2025/september/ne... > It is estimated that 45–94 percent of all Black men will experience PFB at some point during their lifetime. Hispanic, Asian, and Middle Eastern men also are often affected, as are some women. A 2021 study found an association between shaving waivers and delayed promotions. Since most of the waiver group (65 percent) was Black, the new policy could have a discriminatory effect. In our conversations with Black sailors, including some in senior leadership positions, many shared that they feel the new policy is racially insensitive at best—or may be designed to target them.
- LMYahooTFY 7mo ago
  You're just frankly uninformed. Shaving waivers have been so abused it's a running joke in the army. It's still trivially easy to have a doctor get you a waiver.
  - array_key_first 7mo ago
    Even if they are abused, their abuse doesn't have any downsides. These people are not growing beards. Also, I don't even think they are necessarily abused. A lot of men are very sensitive to shaving, with degrees of sensitivity. I think there's probably plenty of guys who have perpetual razor burn and ingrown hairs and nobody cares.
    - LMYahooTFY 7mo ago
      No idea what you're basing these thoughts on, but I don't think you understand the military or what makes it effective. The reasons grooming standards are enforced are the same reasons anything is enforced.

Bender 7mo ago

have a skin condition that makes regular shaving painful. Pseudofolliculitis barbae [1] or PFB was a regular issue for some I served with in the 90's. [1] - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6585396/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6585396/