War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s updates to standards in the U.S. military have implications for some looking to attend an event with the cabinet member, as an email revealed the “Price” of a waiver.
Under the Biden administration, a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion was just one of the self-imposed albatrosses dragging down morale and hampering recruitment quotas. Now, as the secretary seeks to restore the military under President Donald Trump’s direction, a visit to troops in South Korea was officially closed to any “Beardos” with shaving waivers.
A screenshot of an email shared by an unofficial Air Force news Facebook page detailed that a representative from the 51st Fighter Wing stationed at nearby Osan Air Base would only be permitted to attend Hegseth’s event at Camp Humphreys if approved by senior enlisted leaders.
“Members with shaving waivers are NOT authorized to attend,” the email specified as the account captioned the post, “No Beardos allowed at Osan #PriceOfTheWaiver.”
Speaking with Task & Purpose, which reported on the email, an Air Force official confirmed its authenticity and told the outlet, “As you know, it is typical for senior leaders to visit the troops when they travel to installations around the world.”
During a speech at Quantico in September, Hegseth addressed military members of all ranks when he reset expectations for grooming standards as well as physical fitness.
“It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon. It’s a bad look. It is bad, and it’s not who we are. Whether you are an airborne ranger or a chair-borne ranger, a brand new private or a four-star general, you need to meet your height and weight standards and pass your PT test,” the Secretary of War said.
Further, Hegseth noted, “Today, at my direction, the era of unprofessional appearance is over. No more Beardos. The era of rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles is done.”
Compared to routine shortfalls in meeting quotas under the Biden administration, within days, it was announced that reenlistment for the U.S. Marine Corps had met its year-long goal for 2026 in only two weeks, as the secretary heaped praise on the president’s leadership for creating “that kind of love and enthusiasm.”
Ahead of his trip to the garrison, home to the U.S. Army’s busiest airfield in Asia, Desiderio Army Airfield, Hegseth addressed service members aboard the USS George Washington in Japan and remarked, “… there was a phrase, and it’s the dumbest phrase in military history. And that phrase is, ‘Our diversity is our strength.'”
“But I don’t look at you and see who you are based on the color of your skin,” he went on. “I look at you as a fellow American who bleeds red. Our strength is not our diversity. Our strength is our common purpose. Our strength is our unity. Our strength is our mission. Our strength is our oath to the Constitution that we will defend each other. That’s our strength.”
THE SINGLE DUMBEST PHRASE IN MILITARY HISTORY IS THAT DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH. pic.twitter.com/PtfQjbSgpS
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) October 28, 2025
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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