US Navy updates grooming standards for women

The U.S. Navy has updated grooming standards which, among other, now allow women to wear a hair bun through the rear opening of a command or Navy ball cap.

The change was prompted by a question from a San Diego Sailor June 6, according to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson.

“Effective immediately you can now wear your cap with the bun through the hole in the back above the strap,” Richardson said in a Facebook video to the Fleet announcing the change June 8. “I think this will be more comfortable and will look a lot better. Thanks to the Lt. j.g. out there for making that known to me. We promised to fix it and now it’s fixed.”

The other grooming standard change for women announced authorizes the wear of white pearl or white synthetic pearl earrings with Dress Uniforms and round cut white diamonds or white synthetic diamonds with Dinner Dress Blue and White Jacket uniforms. Earrings must be 4 millimeter – 6 millimeter (approximately 1/8 inch – 1/4 inch) in size.

Additionally, pregnant sailors now can purchase the NWU Type III maternity uniform if the Type I version is not available. This change is in response to the reduction in the production of the Type I uniform.

NAVADMIN 146/17 also authorizes approval for wear of two joint command badges.

Sailors assigned to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) and Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) are now authorized to wear command identification badges for the duration of their assignments at those units. Full description of the badges and manner of wear can be found in the NAVADMIN.

Finally, Navy will transition to a Standard Prisoner Uniform to enhance correctional security. Prisoners in a pre-trial status will wear a brown uniform while post-trial prisoners will wear a khaki-color variant of the pre-trial uniform. The NAVADMIN contains complete descriptions of the uniforms.