The United States Army has strict regulations regarding personal appearance and grooming standards for soldiers. This includes rules about tattoos, hairstyles, facial hair, and body piercings. Many prospective soldiers wonder if they will have to remove or cover up their existing piercings in order to enlist and serve. So are piercings allowed in the Army?
Quick Answers
– In general, most piercings are not allowed for soldiers in uniform or on duty. The Army has restrictions on piercings for both men and women.
– The only authorized piercings for women are one pair of small round or square stud earrings worn in the earlobe.
– Men are not allowed to wear any earrings or ear gauges in uniform.
– Nose piercings, lip piercings, eyebrow piercings and tongue piercings are not permitted for soldiers in uniform.
– For men and women, any non-conforming piercings must be removed for duty and training.
– There are exceptions when soldiers are off-duty and not wearing the uniform. During their personal time, soldiers can wear other modest piercings.
Army Uniform Regulations on Piercings
The Army outlines rules on piercings and earrings in Army Regulation 670-1 regarding wearing of the uniform. All soldiers are required to comply with these regulations when wearing their uniform or conducting official duties. Here are the key rules:
Earrings for Women
– Women may wear one pair of small spherical, conservative diamond, gold, white pearl, or silver earrings as a set.
– The earrings must be unadorned and with a post, clip or stud closure.
– Earrings must fit tightly against the ear and may not extend below the earlobe.
– The diameter of spherical earrings should not exceed 6mm or 1/4 inch.
– Earrings must be worn as a matched pair, in the earlobes.
– Earrings are not authorized for wear with the physical fitness uniform.
Earrings and Ear Gauges for Men
– Male soldiers are not authorized to wear earrings of any kind while in uniform.
– Male soldiers are not allowed ear gauges, spacers or expanders for ear piercings.
– If a male soldier has pierced ears or ear gauges, they must be removed for duty and while wearing the uniform.
Other Facial and Body Piercings
– Nose, tongue, lip, eyebrow and other facial piercings are not authorized in uniform.
– For men and women, any non-conforming piercings need to be removed for duty and while in uniform.
– Body piercings on other areas that are visible in uniform must be removed during duty hours.
When Piercings are Allowed
During their off-duty hours and personal time, soldiers may wear earrings, facial or body piercings as long as they are conservative and moderate. Here are the Army guidelines:
– When wearing civilian clothes and off-duty, female and male soldiers can wear earrings and other piercings.
– Piercings cannot interfere with the performance of the soldier’s military duties or detract from a professional image.
– Piercings cannot pose a health or safety hazard to soldiers during training and operations.
– Immoderate or eccentric piercings are prohibited, even when off-duty. Soldiers must use good judgment.
– Any non-compliant piercings need to be removed when reporting for duty or changing into uniform.
Piercing Restrictions During Basic Combat Training
In Basic Combat Training (BCT), the Army has additional rules and restrictions regarding piercings:
– Recruits cannot have any type of facial or body piercings upon arrival at BCT, male or female.
– Female recruits must remove any non-compliant earrings prior to arriving for BCT.
– Recruits will not be allowed to wear earrings during BCT, even during off-duty hours.
– Any new piercings received during BCT will be non-compliant and must be removed.
– Following graduation from BCT, female soldiers can resume wearing authorized earrings under Army Regulation 670-1
The strict piercing policies of BCT are intended to build discipline and uniformity among recruits. After BCT, soldiers can have some options for modest piercings off-duty.
Piercing Restrictions for Deployments
When soldiers deploy for missions abroad, there may be additional restrictions on piercings mandated by commanders:
– For health and safety reasons, piercings may be prohibited during deployments except for female earrings.
– Temporary pierced ear closure inserts may be required for deployments exceeding 30 days.
– Oral piercings, to include tongue studs, are prohibited during deployments.
– Facial and body piercings can pose a health risk if the site becomes infected, especially in field conditions.
– Exposed piercings can also increase risk during contact sports/training and tactical missions.
– Piercing restrictions help identify soldiers and avoid propaganda exploitation if captured.
Commanders have discretion to issue more restrictive policies as needed to uphold operational readiness during deployments.
Allowances for Religious Accommodations
The Army may grant accommodations for certain piercings that are worn as a part of religious practices:
– Soldiers can request an exception if their faith requires wearing non-compliant piercings.
– The process involves submitting a request for religious accommodation through the chain of command.
– If granted, soldiers may wear small colored piercing studs or clear spacers for religious body piercings.
– Approval is based on whether allowing the piercing poses a health/safety risk or affects mission readiness.
– Commanders have some discretion, but generally try to approve accommodations for genuine religious reasons.
As with grooming standards for headgear, beard, or hair, the Army aims to allow religious practices unless they are detrimental to good order and discipline.
How to Handle Piercings When Enlisting
Here are some key tips for incoming recruits and soldiers regarding piercings:
– Prospective female recruits should switch non-compliant ear piercings to studs prior to enlistment.
– Male recruits must remove any ear, nose or facial piercings before entering service.
– Recruits with body piercings should consider removing them before shipping to BCT or expect to remove them upon arrival.
– Soldiers should keep piercings modest and removable for seamless transition from off-duty to in-uniform.
– Understand regulations before getting new piercings to avoid issues.
– Temporary retainers can keep some piercing holes open if needed when removing jewelry for duty.
Overall it is best to avoid facial or non-authorized piercings if considering joining the Army. And always comply with Army regulations regarding earrings and piercings.
Conclusion
The Army has clear guidelines restricting many types of piercings while in uniform and on duty. Only conservative earrings for women are authorized. Men cannot wear earrings and both sexes must remove all non-compliant facial and body piercings for training and missions. This helps maintain military discipline and standards. There is some leeway for modest off-duty piercings but recruits and soldiers need to understand and follow the regulations. While piercings are an individual preference, soldiers must willingly conform to grooming standards to succeed in the Army.