A.F. Academy apologizes for email

An email sent to Air Force Academy cadets went off the rails this week when a sergeant went from discussing appropriate grooming to a statement that basketball star Michael Jordan “was never seen with a gaudy chain around his neck.”

The school has since apologized for the Wednesday “microaggressions” and said “the commandant is working with her staff to ensure that dignity and respect are upheld at every level in the cadet wing.”

The incident started when Master Sgt. Zachary Parish sent an email to cadets complaining about haircuts that didn’t comply with Air Force regulations.

As the top enlisted airman over the cadet wing, Parish said he wants cadets to keep their hair trimmed.

“It’s unfortunate that a small percentage of cadets who fail to maintain their hair appropriately cast a negative impression that’s reflected on the entire … cadet population and armed service members at large,” Parish wrote in an email that later hit Facebook and was confirmed as authentic by the academy.

Enlisted leaders across the military are the enforcers of shaving and haircuts, so Parish’s admonition was a common one.

But then came his treatise on Michael Jordan.

“He was never seen with a gaudy chain around his neck, his pants below his waistline, or with a backwards baseball hat on during public appearances,” Parish wrote.

This sparked outrage among some recipients of the message who saw the sergeant’s words as a swipe at African-Americans.