Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow. "For 15 months during the 1970s, Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, allowed soldiers to wear their hair long, reflecting trends in society. The move angered the country's NATO partners during the height of the Cold War and earned the military the disparaging nickname of the 'German Hair Force.' "Since the very birth of the concept of a military, deterrence has always been one of the key tools in an army's arsenal. The greater a force's deterrent potential, the less likely it would be attacked. Part of that is being well-armed. Of course, it also helps when an army's soldiers come across as tough and ready to fight. "During the 1970s, deterrence had already been a central part of NATO's strategy for decades, as part of its efforts to defend itself against the threat represented by the Eastern bloc. But there were differing opinions at the time over just what a tough soldier's outward appearance ought to be. Those opinions diverged even further when, in 1971, Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, lifted a rule that conscripts could only have close-shorn hair. The change meant that recruits could grow their hair soldier-length -- and it made the blood of tradition-conscious military veterans boil, both inside and outside of Germany." The German Hair Force: A Failed Experiment in Military Manes - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International
Ha, during my active time i remember that i was sent to an US-Army Hairdresser( that word seems to be to good, he was more a sort of sheapshearer,sorry for that) only for the reason that my hairs were so long that they had touched the collar of my shirt!
Its a good point, but where the Bundeswehr is concerned they have earned and retain a fierce reputation, the last photo i have of them is just plain scary. (taken 18 months ago). - Short hair is easy to clean, maintain, more difficult to contract and nurture "hair-borne" diseases and allows all "units" to look the same - facilitating the "machine" mentality rather than individuals. It also reduces the chance of hair falling into the weapon's working areas, where hair can attract other "impurities". The navy and special forces both have a "extra hair allowed" policy...even ordered in some operational areas. And lastly, the military is a proud service, and the image of its members reflects on the service itself. - I think this is a good point, but i don't think the Bundeswehr has much to worry about though!
More used to the Itallian Hair Force, a term that has been in our lingo since the early days in Lebanon.
Didn't the Dutch Army do something similar in the '70s? I seem to remember them allowing troops to wear long hair as long as a hairnet (!) was worn when a helmet was required.
