Long Hair SEAL

[Bob02270]

I was reading a book on special forces this morning, and the heading next to a picture of 2 SEALs said that the one man was one of the few "long hair" SEALs. Was 'long hair' actually referring to the length of his hair (I could tell how long his hair was in the picture because he was wearing a hat), or some special skill that he had? Thanx.

Bob

[Joker119]

I'm not a SEAL, but to the best of my knowledge "Long Hair" refers to a soldier/sailor who has the ability to blend in with the environment in which he operates. Most super-secret covert op guys are called "long hair" because they are usually allowed to grow mustaches or keep their hair a little longer than other soldiers. This way they don't look like a regular soldier (or sometimes like an American) when they have to operate in hostile environments. I noticed once though, that the bodyguards for the new Afghan regime were shown on CNN. I would guess all were Delta or a similar organization, but they had long hair and mustaches and beards(this is a symbol of masculinity in that culture). A few weeks later, CNN reported that apparently some of the brass in Washington made the guys shave and get haircuts so they didn't look as scruffy. I don't know if that's how it actually happened- but I personally think it's a good idea to let our high-risk guys try their best to blend in. So to answer your question, yes and no-


Joker

[Wetwash]

There are rare occasiopns that it may be desirable for a SEAl to be scraggly..But most ofg the time a proper military appearance and bearing is required.