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Five Fingers Shoes Five Finger shoes--those that have a compartment for each toe are now banned by the Army for looking too silly. The shoes apparently make the wearer feel barefoot and are supposed to increase balance and agility, but the Army says that they look unprofessional and soldiers are therefore not authorized to wear them: "only those shoes that accommodate all five toes in one compartment are authorized for wear." According to the Army’s official release the shoes "detract from a professional military image and are prohibited for wear with the IPFU (Improved Physical Fitness Uniform) or when conducting physical training in military formation." So, specifically, any official runs and drills done in the PT (Physical Training) uniform must be done with regular shoes, but any exercising done on one's own out of the uniform can be done in any type of shoe.![nike logo]()
Sports Wear In 2006 the Marines banned all clothing made from nylon and polyester, which included a number of popular sports brands, such as Nike, Under Armour, and CoolMax. The reason being safety. These materials are more flammable and are therefore a higher burn hazard. Now, all Marines stationed in a location in which they might come into contact with fire are prohibited from wearing these comfortable materials.![beret_cap]()
Army Berets For many years the beret was an official part of a soldier's uniform, but now the Army has voted to throw it out the window and go back to the original patrol cap. The beret is too hot and uncomfortable to wear. However, Special Forces, Rangers, and Airborne units will still wear the beret.![US_fatigues]()
Army Fatigues in the Pentagon For awhile this particular rule was dropped and soldiers were allowed to wear the more informal fatigues into work at the Pentagon. The idea was an effort to keep people remembering that the country is at war. But now it has been reinstated and will take effect in October. This policy states that soldiers must wear their dress uniforms when inside the Pentagon.![army_uniform]()
U.S. Military Uniforms in Europe Soldiers stationed in Europe are now banned from wearing their uniform anywhere except for at work--this includes traveling to and from work, even popping out for a quick errand. This ban took effect after a deadly shooting outside Frankfurt Airport earlier this year and is an attempt to keep U.S. soldiers from standing out in a crowd. The directive forbids "uniforms for travel between duty and domicile, short convenience stops, conduct of physical fitness, travel between installations, and off post messing."![purple_hair]()
Non-Natural Hair Color This crazy purple hair would not cut it in the U.S. military --in any branch. Every military individual must be well-groomed and look completely natural. These requirements are very specific. Hair is restricted to a certain length and certain hair styles are prohibited (such as "ponytails, pigtails, widely spaced hanging locks, and braids which protrude from the head") as well as facial hair for men depending on the branch.![DVDs]()
Removable Media After thousands of sensitive State Department cables were leaks on the Wikileaks website, a "Cyber Control Order" was issued by multiple branches of the military banning the use of CDs, DVDs, thumb drives, and all forms of removable media. The purpose is to make it harder to transfer information and thus prevent more leaks, although the military acknowledges that the this will make other operations trickier as well. But it's court martial for those who don't comply.![US_soldiers]()
Women in Combat Although for many years women in the military have ended up serving in combat situations, the military's policy officially bans women from combat, restricting them from being assigned to ground combat units below a brigade level. A recent commission has suggested removing the ban. Until May 2010 women were also banned from serving on submarines. This policy has been reversed and the first women submariners are expected to start work by Fall 2011. Women continue to be banned from serving in Special Forces.![food_plate]()
Some Nutritional Supplements Remaining healthy and in good shape is important, particularly in the military. But military personnel need to be particularly aware of what is in the products that go into their stomachs. All steroids and supplement products containing hemp seeds/hemp seed oil are prohibited in the military. The military reminds soldiers to read labels. But that's not even enough. Mislabeling even supplements containing substances naturally occurring in the body, such as creatine, could lead to complications when it comes to random urine tests.Banned in the Military
Military jobs are hard work. Maintaining the proper military image has its own complications. As citizens of the United States of America, we take a lot of these things for granted as part of daily life. Here are some everyday items banned in the military.
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- Banned in the Military
