Military Naturals

[Uniqzoe]

I would like to know if any of you military naturals have BSL or longer hair (esp. type 4 hair). If so, how do you wear your hair on a daily basis.

SN: Air Force ladies, I noticed in the regulations that it appears as though twists are not acceptable. Is this true or am I interpreting it wrong?

Regs state:
3.1.3.2.
Dreadlocks, (defined as long strands of hair that have been twisted closely from the scalp down to the tips;heavy matted coils of hair which form by themselves, eventually fusing together to form a single dread; or unkempt, twisted, matted individual parts of hair), shaved head, flattops and military high-and-tight cuts are not authorized hairstyles for female Airmen.

 

[ReignLocks]

They are NOT allowed but I have seen far too many women with locks or twists. I think that it depends on your unit/squadron. I would talk to your Shirt about it. I'm prior Army but still work with the military and that would be a question I would take to my 1SG.

Before I cut my hair, I would bun it ALL the time with a cutoff sock and some scrunches.

Hope this helps

 

[Uniqzoe]

ReignLocks Thanks a bunch for your feedback. Currently I'm not in but I am hoping to get commissioned in January and as an officer I want to make sure that I am in compliance.

Welp, I guess I will have to brush up (learn) on my braiding skills. My goal is to be MBL hair by the end of next year but what fun is that if I have to wear in a bun all the time? erplexed

 

[winona]

^^I was an officer with 10 years (got out on Sep1 this year) and I pretty much had to wear it in a bun for the duty day. Off duty I could wear it however I liked. It was cool because it was a great PS. I was army but I notice different branches have different levels of compliance. Army seem pretty lax compared to the Air Force and Marine counterparts. Are you specifically going in the Air Force? Either way good luck on a great career

 

[Uniqzoe]

Are you specifically going in the Air Force? Either way good luck on a great career

winona Yes.....well at least that's the goal. They are supposed to post the selectees next Friday (which means I should know by the following Tuesday). I am excited and nervous as it will be a big change...esp at my age.

 

[curlicarib]

I was a Civil Engineer Corps Officer (USN) for 8 years (got out in 2005). Like winona I kept my hair bunned. For a change of pace, I do two french braids (cornrows) down the sides. For field exercises, I'd braid it back in about eight cornrows. Which branch are you going in? In the Navy, all women get their hair cut to chin length - this may have changed.

 

[winona]

curlicarib[/USER];14789093]I was a Civil Engineer Corps Officer (USN) for 8 years (got out in 2005). Like winona I kept my hair bunned. For a change of pace, I do two french braids (cornrows) down the sides. For field exercises, I'd braid it back in about eight cornrows. Which branch are you going in? In the Navy, all women get their hair cut to chin length - this may have changed.

The cut has not changed as of last summer My poor friend got a rude awakening as she was growing her hair out.

 

[Uniqzoe]

curlicarib thankfully I am not going into the Navy but the Airforce. Although with shrinkage I may have been able to trick them with that one.

winona
Did either of you have problems with thinning edges from bunning so often?

 

[winona]

Uniqzoe[/USER];14789209]@curlicari thankfully I am not going into the Navy but the Airforce. Although with shrinkage I may have been able to trick them with that one.

winona
Did either of you have problems with thinning edges from bunning so often?

Nope but I changed it up a lot. Braided buns, 2 flat twists in the front leading to a bun, banana clip bun, buns buns buns

 

[afrofaithful]

I'm in the AF now, and I totally just had a run in about some mini twists I had in! The new regs are absolutely ridiculous. No micros (unless they're braided the whole way down...who does that?!), but I'm not to sure about the twists. Pretty much the convo I had with an NCO about the twists was that they were okay...kind of. My argument was that what you listed above is a list which includes all aspects of the statement. So unkempt, twisted, matted individual parts of hair, is ONE statement. You can't pick out a phrase of an entire sentence and make it the end all be all. SO anyways I wore my twists down, and someone said something, so I put them up in a bun/pony thing and it was okay! My flight chief doesn't really like natural hair. She's a hair nazi. But I've seen people with ridiculous hair dos that nobody says are out of regs, and they are clearly not okay. So it's really up to your duty section or whoever you run into...

 

[Uniqzoe]

afrofaithful, Yes, the regs are very limiting for the natural ladies. I honestly don't know what the big difference between twists and braids are. As long as they are not larger than a certain diameter seems as though both should be fine. I love my twists, mainly because I can do them myself and save $$. But I'm not so keen on braids.

Where are you stationed? If you don't mind me asking.

 

[complexsimplicity]

I'm in the Air Force and I'm wearing my hair in a twist out a lot like yours OP. No one has said anything to me and I'm enlisted. They treat the enlisted and the officers pretty differently. They'll be a lot more lax towards you because you will be an officer. I'm at the Air Force Academy btw but I'm about to PCS to Langley AFB.​

 

[GoodMernin]

I was in the Navy and got out in 2002 but I remember when I first went into boot camp I had a big afro.

Those poor folks didn't know what to do with my hair and had me looking like Grace Jones with a flat top.

People were feeling on my hair (black girls too:-/) saying how they had never felt natural hair before. I was like, "Your hair feels like this too you know."

Anyways...soon as I got into Airman school I had it shaved off into a nice fade and kept it like that until I got out.

 

[Uniqzoe]

complexsimplicity Thanks for your input. The good thing about my twists outs is that they don't fall below the collar line and I can still contain them to less than 3 in in width, I just hate not being able to wear the actual twists for a few days prior.

GoodMernin, It is amazing how little many people know about their own textures....cause back in 2002 I would have had NO clue what my virgin hair's texture and characteristics were. But not to the point where I didn't know what natural hair felt like. EWWW, but I don't know if I could've sported a Grace Jones, that would have been far too drastic for me.

BTW, I would like to thank all of you ladies for your service!

 

[complexsimplicity]

I really think you'll be able to wear your hair in twists because I've seen way too many people with kinky twist extensions. I even had them for a week but I took them out just for the fact that I didn't like them.​

 

[calmsensual1]

When I got to BCT I had twists and one of the drill sgts told me I had to take them down. So I was like alright, Ima cut all my hair off cause I don't want to deal with my hair while Im here. Then she changed her mind and said I could keep them. lol

Anyway, I'm in the Army Reserves and the 1st sgt wears twists. So I wear twists too lol.

 

[Miss AJ]

I don't know if they mean two strand twists specifically because I've worn my hair like that on quite a FEW occasions and no one of higher rank or in my chain of command has told me I had to change the style.


ETA: Forgot to mention that I'm active duty Air Force, enlisted side.

 

[An_gell]

I am in the AF and have been in for 12 years now, that paragraph you referenced is related to dreadlocks. Dreadlocks are no longer allowed in the AF, but you are allowed to wear twist as long as they are neat clean and good taste meaning they are not what the AF considers to be "fadish."

 

[Uniqzoe]

Unfortunately it looks like I don't have to worry about it as I was not selected this year. I may try again next year but the process was so long (8 mths) and stressful I'm not sure if I will.

 

[KaramelKutie803]

I think it depends on your unit/base. I'm in the AF but went through basic in 09. And when we got there, 2 girls in my flight were starting dreads and they made them cut their hair. Now one of the same girls is stationed at Grand Forks in North Dakota and indeed has dread locks. She started back growing them while we were in tech school at Keesler. So I guess it all depends.

 

[ojthomas]

Yes twists are might be unacceptable depending on your unit, it is hard trying to find the correct style in the military I just wear my hair in a low puff or bun. What I have learned is that a reg is not concrete people read the regs and see different things. I also part my hair down the middle and roll each side all the way down then I tuck the back part up.

 

[Rocky91]

the language on those guidelines man... it seems so archaic. but i'm not military so idk.
anyways, i do hope you find a solution! you've gotten great tips from ladies in here.