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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo mandating that troops needing facial hair exemptions for over a year will be discharged. While commanders can still grant exemptions with a medical treatment plan, those requiring ongoing treatment after a year will face separation. This policy, impacting all services, reverses years of relaxed grooming standards. The memo doesn't detail treatment options or costs, nor clarify exceptions for special forces or arctic deployments. This follows recent stricter grooming rules in the Army and Air Force.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.