Hipsters in the ranks... RAF allows beards for top guns
THE ROYAL Air Force may soon boast trendy hipsters among its ranks after top guns persuaded military chiefs to let them grow beards, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Junior airmen were angry that they couldn’t adopt the look – and now following a yearlong campaign, top brass have relented.
The main caveats are that airmen must gain permission from their commanding officers before growing facial hair and they must present their beards for inspection.
The change is confirmed in a routine orders document for 903 Expeditionary Air Wing ( EAW) based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus where British pilots have been launching bombing raids against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria.
The boss of 903 EAW, Group Captain Jonny Moreton, told his troops: ‘The RAF facial hair policy will come into effect from September 1, 2019. This policy will permit RAF Regular and Reserve personnel to grow and wear a beard.’
It comes after an RAF survey revealed that being forced to shave was a major factor in many airmen quitting their military careers. Until now, RAF personnel were only permitted to grow beards on religious grounds or when specially authorised for medical reasons.
But handlebar moustaches, lovingly waxed and twirled, were once synonymous with RAF pilots, as spectacularly sported by Wing Commander Roger Morewood, a Battle of Britain hero.
The Mail on Sunday understands that under the new rules, when a hazard clearly exists, those with beards may be ordered to modify facial hair to enable the correct wearing of respirators and breathing apparatus.
During the campaign in Helmand province, ground troops were granted a temporary waiver from shaving duties – a move intended to impress elders in Afghanistan, most of whom had long beards.
Shaving was also difficult for soldiers facing water shortages.