Grooming standards and religious liberty in the U.S. Navy

Rear Admiral
Stephen B. Luce,
U.S. Navy

On June 10, 2026, the Chief of Naval Operations issued updated guidance on grooming standards and religious liberty. The complete message can be found here. Excerpt:

In the complex maritime domain, safety is intrinsically linked to overall mission success. The tactical proficiency, physical resilience, and cognitive readiness of each warfighter form the foundational building blocks of our combat power. Consequently, individual performance is a direct multiplier for the lethality of our Fleet. Individual capability and survivability impacts the life, health, and safety of the overall crew. Force preservation requires deliberate consideration of individual rights in the context of uncompromising operational requirements. Modern threats present an existential risk to the individual warfighter; individual casualties immediately cascade into degraded unit readiness, compromised lethality, and reduced overall survivability. Commanding Officers must objectively weigh the fundamental value of accommodating religious practices against the compelling, life-or-death interest of maintaining an absolute protective posture and ensuring the operational viability of our Fleet.

But see A Brief History of Grooming in the U.S. Navy (USNI 2014)