It would appear my (May 30 letter) concerning the appearance of veterans wearing military uniforms might benefit from some reference to the rules/guidelines that are in place. As noted before, Memorial Day and Veterans Day are official national holidays. All branches of the military are similar in their rules and regulations, but I am including the Army-specific ones because the situation that prompted my letter was due to a local Army vet at the annual Memorial Day event in Santa Clarita wearing a non-approved uniform and also with a ponytail and full long beard. The patriotism of the person I was referring to is not at all in question nor is it the point. It is his knowingly ignoring these regulations that I objected to.
“Army Regulation 670–1; 23–4. Former members of the Army.
“a. Unless qualified under another provision of this regulation, or under the provisions of 10 USC 772, former members of the Army may only wear the uniform if they served honorably during a declared or undeclared war, and if their most recent service was terminated under honorable conditions. Personnel who qualify under these conditions will wear the Army uniform in the highest grade they held during such war service, in accordance with 10 USC 772.
“b. When authorized, the uniform may be worn only for the following ceremonial occasions and when traveling to and from the event and must follow guidance included in paragraph 3–7c.
“(1) When attending military funerals, memorial services, weddings, inaugurals and other occasions of ceremony.
“(2) When attending parades on national or state holidays, or other patriotic parades or ceremonies in which any regular or reserve U.S. military unit is taking part. Uniforms for these occasions are restricted to service and dress uniforms; the combat uniform and physical fitness uniforms will not be worn. Wearing the Army uniform at any other time, or for any other purpose than stated above, is prohibited.
“Veterans are generally expected to adhere to the same grooming standards as active duty personnel, which include maintaining a neat and professional appearance, such as being clean-shaven or having neatly trimmed facial hair, and ensuring hairstyles do not detract from a military appearance. Specific guidelines may vary by branch, but the emphasis is on discipline and professionalism.”
Bottom line here for me is I could care less if a guy wants to have a ponytail and long full beard – but don’t wear a military uniform looking like that!
Rick Barker
Valencia
