U.S. troops with facial hair were barred from attending an upcoming event with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in South Korea this week, according to reports.
An email purportedly from the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base in South Korea — posted to an unofficial Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page — advised troops that “members with shaving waivers are NOT authorized to attend” the troop engagement with the Defense secretary.
The email asked various groups to select representatives to attend the engagement.
An Air Force official confirmed the authenticity of the email to Task & Purpose, a news outlet focused on military reporting.
“As you know, it is typical for senior leaders to visit the troops when they travel to installations around the world,” the official told the news outlet in a statement.
The Pentagon referred The Hill to the U.S. Air Force for comment. USAF did not respond to an inquiry from The Hill.
The Pentagon last month unveiled new grooming standards for troops, requiring service members “to be clean shaven and neat in presentation for a proper military appearance.”
“Commanders must apply consistent criteria and appropriately consider the Department’s interests in safety and uniformity when authorizing individual exceptions,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said last month.
“Military medical officers will provide a written recommendation concerning a shaving waiver to the commander who is the final approval authority,” he added at the time. “Service members with an approved shaving waiver will participate in a medical treatment plan.”
Hegseth is traveling in Asia this week alongside President Trump, with plans to visit Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam and South Korea.
