WASHINGTON — At Camp Pendleton, California, Marines stood inches apart waiting to get haircuts in a video that has gotten more than 70,000 views. They were not practicing social distancing.
And while regulation "high and tights" are an essential part of military culture, does it really make sense to risk your life to get a buzz cut during a global pandemic, just because the rules say so?
When asked about the video, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper seemed to suggest that haircut regulations could be temporarily relaxed during this crisis.
Esper said, "You could find a way to do it, or not require it, for a period of time."
But the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff cautioned reporters: "Don't take that as guidance yet."
At a news conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Army General Mark Milley said haircuts are an important part of military discipline. He pointed to history.
"As the son of a Navy corpsman who hit the beach at Iwo Jima with the Fourth Marine Division, it took extraordinary discipline to conquer that island with 7,000 Marines killed in 19 or 20 days and put the flag on Sarabachi," he said. "That Marine victory was a result of incredible discipline of America's 9-11 force and the expeditionary force. It may seem superficial to some... but getting a haircut is part of that discipline."
He finished by saying, "So, yes. I support the Marines."