Been informed by my CO tonight that he had some good news for me. He has heard from a reliable source that beards have now been permitted in the RAF and it is a matter of time before it shimmy’s down to the RAFAC. Anyone else have any information on this?
But surely we have our own rules now, as we are constantly told that staff are no longer part of the RAF:thinking:
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I’ve seen nothing tangible on our side just yet. My Flight is adamant its still only at the board decision stage. 1358 hasnt been updated yet since Feb… Who knows…
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I contacted the ATF WO last week who said the board is yet to discuss it, but the likely outcome is still a no!
Who knows tho!
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Ah! I keep hearing different things.
I’m hoping it changes! My skin reacts horribly to shaving, I’m not one of those people who wear a beard for cosmetic reasons. I just have a feeling that simply saying my skin is bad when shaving will not go down well at all with the powers that be.
A letter from your GP will suffice to stop shaving and grow a beard.
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Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind.
Or just say it irritates, and if anyone in your wing says to get a chit, ask if the funding for the wing demanded medical check is going to be covered by the wing. Get them to pay for it. 
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In the Forces you can get a medical chit.
If it’s causing you distress, you are entitled to do what you need, it’s a Cadet volunteer organisation. Why put yourself through unnecessary discomfort? Even just keeping a clipped short beard.
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As said above. It’s a voluntary organisation. If they want to pay for the expenses to aqquire said chit, then they can.
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Thanks guys. It doesn’t necessarily cause me distress, as I said, it isn’t for cosmetic reasons that I sport a beard. Any improvement in looks is simply a bonus… 
By day I work in the primary care sector of the NHS and I have never been told that my beard makes me look scruffy. I ensure its kept neat and trimmed.
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A Warrant Officer of mine had a medical chit for the same reason as you. It caused some palpitations, but he initially waved the chit around and everyone got use to it!!
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Haha! We have our annual inspection on Monday so I intend to speak to the wing commander, as I am attending OASC early next year.
I’ll provide a sitrep then!
Army joining the beard wagon!
#RunByHipsters
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Que the Facebook comments of ‘It’s not the same Army I joined back in the day’ from some old boy who could never grow a beard anyway!
About time! Unlike the RAF, the Army had a history of beard wearing, and until relatively recently, so this shouldn’t have taken them so long.
RSM at pirbright has apparently gone nope 
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I sort of get that at a training environment, but this is where at a regimental level the seniors need to slap “well not in my regiment” attitudes down.
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Ironically, any regiment newly formed in the 20th century could legitimately argue that beards are not part of their heritage. I say ‘ironically’ as this would include the SAS Regiment. Any regiment tracing its lineage back to Victorian times or earlier has worn beards before, however.
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