http://www.businessinsider.com/us-soldier-who-worships-norse-god-thor-permitted-to-keep-beard-2018-4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwQx0NEtNw4
A bearded US Army soldier who worships Thor, the Norse god of
thunder, is being permitted to keep his beard as part of the military's
effort to be more religiously accommodating.
In 2017, the Army decided to allow soldiers to wear a turban, beard or hijab for religious reasons.
Initially, religious accommodation of facial hair in the Army seemed to
be directed at Sikh service members (beards are a religious requirement
for male Sikhs).
Now, however, it appears this new policy also
permits adherents of the Norse pagan faith, also known as heathens, to
keep their beards. Unlike Sikhs, Norse pagans are not required to wear
beards as part of their faith, but facial hair is apparently encouraged.
That's pretty metal.
I thought the short hair, no beard policy was for gas-masks/respirators or is just a part of it?
Kinda makes him look unprofessional or like he's with a PMC, but hey what do I know
Dose it really matter how professional you look, when your out there in a battlefield
That's not him, that's like some Tier 1 operator or whatever. A lot of those guys have beards.
i don't think the guy in the picture is him, it says it's an unidentified special forces guy in a pic from 2002 in the article. SOF generally have more lenient rules when it comes to uniform and dress code anyway
I mean when you phrase it like that: yes, absolutely.
That's part of it, it started in WW1 when lice and other bugs spread like wild among troops with beards and moustaches. Since then Western militaries have generally banned or restricted facial hair and mandated short hair length to prevent the spread of bugs.
As a Norse pagan I'm glad to hear this.
I mean, when I'm out killing folks, high probably that I'm going to die aswell and hundreds of my friends or coworkers literally murdered right next to me, what I'm looking like is the last thing in my mind
But hey, that's just me
should soldiers be wearing suits and ties my guy?
Look at military history, look at military traditions, whether or not I like it or not, there's a large and valid tradition of symbology and the like that you would quickly call "unprofessional" but I think you'd have a hell of a time arguing that to anyone who's actually served
Wasting time trying to make sure you look profession wastes time that the other side isn't bothering with and makes for poor army doctrine.
you know that not everyone in the army is just cannon fodder being deployed to 24 7 war zones?
I have mixed feelings about this. I know many people who try to bend the rules within the military, and are willing to say or do almost anything to be an individual. I sincerely doubt he takes his religion very seriously outside of this. There are already people within my unit trying to "change" religions so they can make the same case. Regardless, the precedent has been set.
That's a navy seal, special forces have more lenient standards.
I was mostly just making a joke about the resemblance.
I kind of have a stereotype in my head that anyone who likens themself to a viking because they grew a beard and has an interest in metal is probably 350lbs and the beard probably doesn't come up past his chin
No but we have a standing army that does a lot of occupying
While you "hurry up and wait", you should look professional for the civilian population that pays your unproductive time as well as not stand out and look different
Maybe I've never believed the image the army displays of their soldiers marching, as what they'll be like in the field, in battle. Maybe I've read a few more books about vietnam than I should have, but soldiers ended up customizing their kits in small ways. Small carvings, small company patches, some companies picked up their own nicknames and displayed those, and that's a tradition that goes back even further.
I just see this ad for what it is. An idealized ad meant to sell a certain concept in a certain way. I just don't see that as reality.
He looks like he came out of Medal of Honor 2010
operator af
I don't really see what the problem is, as long as he keeps the beard looking tidy and not like an old biker it shouldn't look unprofessional.
They're still like a Viking; that Viking just happens to be Hagar the Horrible.
I guess it was my turn to use poor phrasing. I don't think there's inherently wrong with allowing facial hair, I just don't think having a massive, unkempt mess-of-a-beard gives off an air of being a part of a well organized army. There's a degree of composure that I feel should be maintained if you're in an army - you're there to be an authoritative presence, not a legendary Viking warrior from the poetic edda.
But considering this discussion is literally over someone having a beard, I'm certainly not trying to start an argument or disrespect servicemen.
Yes it does, you are a professional soldier/airman/sailor/guardsmen which is representing your sponsor nation. Uniformity is pretty important when it comes to the military, it is all apart of presentation and discipline.
I don't see an issue with the exception as long as he keeps his appearance sharp and beard kept. But you need to realize that not all beards are equal and I highly doubt you could take someone seriously in uniform with a neckbeard.
Are you under the impression that trench warfare still happens or something.
The thing that gets me the most about how blinded you are since your head is firmly lodged somewhere between your colon and cecum is that you probably thought that the guy in that picture was the norse dude in question and that he was in a battlefield setting, which isn't even the case since the soldier is from the 795th Battalion. He could very well just be a MP standing guard in missouri or even being trained there.
Otherwise, good job using the whole "i'm gonna be fightin the good fight" thing, was pretty clever trying to sway opinion by pointing out how deadly being in a scary, violent combat zone could be to argue whether or not a beard is professional. Grow up.
I feel it would have been fine for him to have a beard whether or not he was norse as long as it's groomed properly. Although uniformity is what the military prides itself upon, so I don't really expect many soldiers to have them back home or in friendly countries. Countries where friendliness is uncertain I don't expect people to care much about whether or not you have a beard.
Even in the navy most aren't allowed to have beards unless we're going underway on actual deployment, and that's mostly at CO discretion and then some. Many get to keep their beards due to medical reasons like razor bumps though.
as awesome as this is, which it is; wouldn't it get itchy after a while especially in the desert heat?
Meme religion
You can't treat any religion as having more legitimacy than another. If they've a policy allowing beards for religious reasons then he's free to have one. If people think it's unprofessional or somehow bad for whatever reason then protest the policy? Most people don't care like.
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