U.S. troops get email about meeting Defense Secretary in South Korea. One line in the message leaves bearded service members stunned

American soldiers in South Korea got some surprising news this week. They learned that having a beard might stop them from meeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base sent out an email with special rules about who can attend an event with the secretary at Camp Humphreys.

The email was pretty straightforward about the requirements. Someone posted it on an unofficial Air Force Facebook page, and people quickly noticed the restrictions. Later, an Air Force spokesperson told Task & Purpose that the email was real and the information was correct.

According to The Hill, the email told service members that “Members with shaving waivers are NOT authorized to attend” the meeting with Hegseth. It also asked different groups to pick people to represent them at the event. This means any soldier who got permission to keep a beard for medical or religious reasons cannot go to the meeting.

This is what happens when policy meets reality

This email shows how new grooming rules from the Pentagon are being used in real situations. Back in September, Hegseth gave a speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia where he talked to hundreds of top military leaders. He told them that sloppy appearances were no longer acceptable in the military.

During that speech, Hegseth said “No more beardos” and made it clear that the days of easy shaving exemptions were over. He put out an official memo on September 30 telling the military to go back to the rules they had before 2020. Now soldiers can only get temporary permission to skip shaving if they have certain medical problems.

One of these medical issues is called pseudofolliculitis barbae, which sounds complicated but basically means painful razor bumps. Doctors say this problem affects about 60% of Black men, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. When people with this condition shave, their skin gets irritated, bumpy, and sometimes scarred.

The new policy also changed the rules for religious reasons. Before this, soldiers from different religions like Sikhs, Muslims, and Norse Pagans could get approval to keep their beards because of their faith. Now those permissions are much harder to get, and each person has to prove their religious beliefs are genuine. The beard policy is just one part of several big changes he has made to how the military operates.

A Pentagon spokesperson named Sean Parnell explained that military leaders need to think about safety and making sure everyone looks the same when they decide on exceptions. He said soldiers with shaving waivers will need to follow a medical treatment plan. If they still cannot meet the shaving requirements after trying treatments for a year, they might get kicked out of the military.

Hegseth went on a trip through Asia with President Donald Trump at the end of October. He visited Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and South Korea during this trip. Since he started his job in January, Hegseth has focused heavily on fitness and grooming rules, saying these standards help the military work better.