Will the Real Canadian Soldiers Stand Up?

“Some will consider this progress, while others may see this as unwarranted. We must beware of the false dichotomy that we must choose between changing our dress … or (being) strong,” said Wayne Eyre, Canada’s top soldier, in a feature announcing the changes. "Starting in September, there will be no restrictions whatsoever on hair length, including for beards (recruits will also be spared the existing policy of having their heads shaved at basic training). Face tattoos will have the okay, provided they’re not racist or gang-related. “Hoop earrings, ear spacers and eyelash extensions are fine, provided they’re not getting in the way of “operational requirements.”

“And the whole dress code will be “gender neutral,” meaning that men can now be issued “traditionally gendered items” such as skirts, nylons and purses. (MSM)

“The new regulations are even set to repeal specific prohibitions against slouching, chewing gum or resting hands in pockets. While snapping gum during an official inspection is probably still a no-no, service members will simply be given the general instruction to “comport themselves in a manner which projects a positive military appearance.” (MSM)

“While a number of Western militaries have been relaxing dress codes in recent months, the Canadian changes are on a whole other level. By September the Canadian Armed Forces will be home to the most permissive military dress code in NATO if not the world. (MSM) “In his Tuesday video address, Eyre acknowledged as much by saying that Canada was “leading the way” on 21st century military dress codes. “We have … consulted with our allies, who have told us that we are several years ahead of them,” he said. “In a much-touted dress code modernization last year, the United States military repealed a ban on “minimum hair length” for female service members, allowed dye jobs so long as they were a “natural" hair colour and allowed men to wear clear nail polish (“no purple, blue, pink, green, orange, bright red, and fluorescent or neon” colours). “Canada, by contrast, has opened the door to any “unnatural” hair colour so long as it doesn’t have a “negative operational impact” (such as neon colours that may compromise uniform camouflage). Male service members can also sport “long fingernails” painted with a wide array of potential colours.

Support Canada Free Press

“Last year, the British Army announced a “significant” dress code change wherein female soldiers could abandon hair buns in favour of ponytails, braids or cornrows. “Canadas’ new regulations not only allow long hair on men, but military brass doesn’t care how it’s braided so long as the “face is visible.” “It was only three years ago that the Canadian Armed Forces still retained dress codes that were virtually unchanged since the Second World War. In 2019, the military repealed a longstanding requirement for female service members to wear high heels and nylons while in dress uniform. While male service members could occasionally wear beards and long hair, there had to be a religious or ethnic reason, such as being a practicing Sikh. “The new dress regulations have been in the works for months. Last November, the Acting Chief of Military Personnel, Maj.-Gen. Lise Bourgon, first hinted that changes were coming to “eliminate binary choices by allowing members the freedom to choose the uniform that makes them most comfortable.” In March, she confirmed that the new code would be explicitly “gender neutral.” “The dress code changes come amidst a concerted push to patch up chronic understaffing in the Canadian Armed Forces. The Department of Defence is roughly 7,600 members short of full strength. And with only 65,000 personnel total, the military is dramatically short of an official goal to boost recruitment to 101,500 by 2026.

“Of course, there are plenty of non-dress code reasons for this. Most notably, the military has been plagued by sexual misconduct scandals among its top leadership. “While Canadians may soon be the only ones showing up to NATO exercises in waist-length hair and muttonchops, there was a brief and mostly forgotten period when “alternative” styles were de rigueur among European militaries. “The Dutch Army used to allow long hair among its troops as a way to lessen resistance among conscripts. But the policy was rescinded in the 1990s in order to promote a more “professional” appearance. “The German military flirted with allowing long-haired soldiers in the 1970s, but the measure was reversed within months after it was found that hairier service members were more prone to skin problems and parasitic infestations.”

VIEW Comments