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The Air Force has updated the dress and grooming standards its Airmen follow, per a Jan. 29 press release from the service.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin announced the changes, which became effective Feb. 1.
The updates affect Airmen’s duty identifier patches, nail polish, male facial hair including beards, male hair standards and using a "Gig Line" while wearing dress uniforms, according to a separate Department of the Air Force memo released Jan. 24.
"Complying with and enforcing standards demonstrates shared commitment to our winning team, as well as an understanding of the gravity of our profession in today’s volatile security environment," Allvin said.
Allvin appeared in a Dec. 20 video to explain to Airmen why the service was reviewing certain policies and standards.
"So, in the weeks and months to come, we are going to be reviewing some of these policies, the waivers and the exceptions," he said. "And we’re going to be reviewing them to ensure that they are easy to understand, easy to comply with and easy to enforce."
The Jan. 29 DAF memo said the "basic philosophy" behind the guidance changes was to demonstrate "Airmen live by a common standard and respond to military order and discipline."
The memo stated "Duty Identifier Patches (i.e. Career Field Identifier patches)" will no longer be authorized for wear.
However, the memo added certain "Duty Identifier Tabs," "commander insignia" and some "USAF Graduate patches" "are still authorized for wear."
Airmen can now only wear "clear or French or American Manicure" nail polish while in uniform.
"Male Airmen must be clean-shaven" at the start of each duty day going forward, unless they have a "current medical waiver or religious accommodation."
"Hair will not touch the ears" when it comes to the latest iteration of the Air Force’s male hair standards.
The Air Force additionally added a definition for a "Gig Line" Airmen can use while wearing dress uniforms.
"When members wear shirt tucked into trousers or slacks with front fly opening, the button front edge of the shirt, the outside of the belt buckle (when required) and the edge of the fly will align," the memo stated. "This alignment creates a gig line. The gig line should be straight and neat."
Allvin said in the memo he expects "compliance with these updates as the military duty of the Total Air Force," adding the document doesn’t apply to Space Force personnel.
A Jan. 29 DAF memo detailing all the updates to the service’s dress and grooming guidance is available here.
A separate memo explaining the Air Force’s updated medical guidance for shaving profiles is available here.
A healthcare provider must currently evaluate Airmen and Guardians for a medical necessity for shaving profiles. The memo does not apply to religious accommodation shaving waivers.
Current shaving profiles remain valid but expire 90 calendar days after personnel’s next periodic health assessment, effective March 1.
The memo stated, "Extended duration shaving profiles are generally reserved for severe cases of PFB."
Pseudofolliculitis barbae is a skin condition that can result in painful shaving and scarring, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported Jan. 29.
— By Mark Hensch
