A new directive has been put in place that will allow women soldiers to wear locs.
Army directive 2017-03, which spells out changes to Army Regulation 670-1, allows women to wear locs as long as they are "of uniform dimension; have a diameter no greater than a half-inch; and present a neat, professional and well-groomed appearance."
<img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/locs.jpeg" alt="Army locs" width="1068" height="600" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-785700" />
"We understood there was no need to differentiate between locks, cornrows or twists as long as they all met the same dimension," said Sgt. Maj. Anthony J. Moore, the uniform policy branch sergeant major when speaking to <a href="http://www.nwguardian.com/2017/01/26/26606/turbans-beards-dreadlocks-now.html" target="_blank"><em>The Northwest Guardian</em></a>. "It’s one more option for female hairstyles. Females have been asking for a while, especially females of African-American decent [sic], to be able to wear dreadlocks and locks because it’s easier to maintain that hairstyle."
Not only can women wear locs without having to fashion them into two-strand twists or being harassed about them, but permanent accommodations are being made so women can also wear hijabs, and men can don beards and turbans for religious purposes. Requests to wear the latter things used to rise to the level of the Pentagon before being granted approval, now permission can be granted by brigade-level commanders.
But for those with beards, they may still be asked to cut them off due to the fact that it can hinder the fit of a gas mask. However, they will only be asked in the case of concrete evidence of an expected chemical attack. Those soldiers who wear beards for religious reasons but want to enter into chemical warfare-related fields will not be allowed access.
The whole point in these policy changes is to increase the diversity of those joining the Army and let people know that their hair won't necessarily be a factor (as long as dimension and diameter guidelines for it are still followed) when it comes to having the opportunity to serve.
"This is so we can expand the pool of people eligible to join the Army," he said. "There was a section of the population who previously were unable to enlist in the Army. This makes the Army better because you’re opening the doors for more talent. You’re allowing people to come in who have skills the Army can use."
The <a href="http://madamenoire.com/458507/military-revises-hair-regulations/" target="_blank">Army previously made changes to its regulations on hair in 2014</a>, authorizing temporary two-strand twists, removing the spacing requirement for braids, cornrows and twists that were authorized, allowing ponytails during physical training and removing "unkempt" and "matted" from explanations of natural hairstyles. Despite those accommodations, at that time, locs were still considered a no-no for duty.
You might think, "It's just hair. Is it really that deep?" Well, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/itsmeseelo/videos/vb.1015747366/10210790767778035/?type=2&theater" target="_blank">Staff Sergeant Chaunsey SeeLo Logan</a>, who serves the Army in Georgia, explained in a Facebook video why this new directive means so much to her. As someone who got in trouble with her superiors due to her locs, and had to put them in two-strand twists for them to be deemed acceptable or cut them off, the change in policy is long overdue and stands against "blind conformity," just like her:
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<em>Image via Corbis </em>
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