Braids, ponytails, and lipstick allowed ... The US Army amends the standards for the appearance of female soldiers

Washington - AFP

The US military has revised its standards for the appearance of the military to better reflect the female representation and ethnic diversity in its ranks.

At the end of an investigation requested by former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, amid a debate about racial discrimination within the US forces, the military announced during a public conference that it had decided to allow appropriate women's hairstyles for all types of hair.

For women who have long hair, the bun was mandatory, but it is now allowed to wear a ponytail if the hair is straight or if the hair is curly, braids can be tied.

These hairstyles are allowed as long as they do not conflict with the uniform or helmet during the operations, as indicated by the documents published during this conference.

For women who want to shorten their hair or even shave it completely, they are now allowed to do so.

Likewise, it became possible to wear earrings, but they should be small in size and not attract attention. However, they remained prohibited in military operations sites.

It also allows the use of lipstick, but in neutral shades.

Nail polish has also been approved for men who work in environments where their hands are in frequent contact with strong chemicals.

Since the death of George Floyd at the end of May while he was arrested by a white policeman, the US military, one of the institutions in which minorities is not sufficiently represented, has opened a wide-ranging debate about racism.

And hoisting the Confederation flag was prohibited on all US military bases, as they are often seen as a symbol of racism.

The Pentagon also announced its support for changing the names of military bases that honor Confederate generals, an idea that was opposed by former US President Donald Trump.

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