It’s who hairs chins as SAS grow beards
ELITE SAS troops have been given special permission to grow beards.
The Who Dares Wins regiment are the first allowed chin fuzz in the British Army, but only for operational reasons.
A source said: “Members have been told that they are allowed to grow facial hair in the weeks prior to deploying.
“Troops on standby to deploy to war zones at very short notice will also be allowed to grow beards.”
STUBBLE
One former member said last night: “It makes sense, provided standards don’t slip. There are significant cultural reasons for growing beards in places like Afghanistan.”
But designer stubble and hipster beards are barred.
In April SAS members were disciplined by a sergeant major after returning from ops with beards and man-buns.
The furious officer reportedly said one of his men returning to a Hereford base looked like a “heavily armed Jesus’’.
Rank-and-file soldiers have been pressuring Army officers to allow beards in the past two years, in line with the RAF and Navy.
Army officers can only allow beards on medical or religious grounds.