Hawaii Based First Sergeant Relieved Over A Beard
This story has been all over social media and now being covered by the Stars and Stripes:
An Army master sergeant who says he lost a leadership role due partly to his beard and haircut has ignited online debate over both the impact of shaving waivers on careers and the extent to which service members can express themselves on social media. Master Sgt. Darhem Parker, who has more than 24,000 followers and 550,000 likes associated with his TikTok account, celebrated his elevation to first sergeant as part of the Hawaii-based Alpha Company, 29th Brigade Engineer Battalion in an April 30 video post.
“Somebody in real life is going to see that picture on their wall and be pissed (expletive) off,” Parker says as he shows off his command picture while pointing out his haircut and his beard. Parker wasn’t wrong about that. He was counseled by his battalion sergeant major on May 2 for inappropriate online conduct, he said during a video interview Tuesday. Parker said he mostly agreed with the counseling regarding his video.
“When I look back on it, I cringe when I say I agree, but I ain’t always right,” Parker said Tuesday. “I could have toned down the passion or the ‘I told you so’ attitude.” What Parker didn’t expect was the mention of his appearance in the counseling statement, along with the instructions to retake his command photo after correcting his haircut.
Stars & Stripes
You can read much more at the link, but what he ended up being relieved for was not the beard, but for taunting on social media. If he would not have posted anything on social media this whole thing would have never had been an issue. Just another example of how social media has caused another career to crash and burn.
Promoting a diversity hire with a big social media following can be rationalized as a good idea on paper.
But when dicipline breaks down and the merit hires start questioning why they can’t act like diversity hires, Something Has to be Done.
Using Chinese TikTok is proof of poor judgement in any leader.
His videos are pretty funny and he has a good demeanor, so don’t paint a broad stroke by looking at the picture.
That said, I’m not a fan of beards, don’t have one and I hate not shaving every day because I feel scuzzy. If the military says it’s allowed, then it’s allowed. My issue is not enforcing the standards.
The 1SG needs to address these other turds that have unkempt beards, hair, etc. I see all comers, all races that just let it go and NCO’s don’t bother to enforce anything.
Maj Bob, your point is well taken.
I can appreciate a good guy talking about fun stuff.
However, in the military, I want all the attention to go to a guy who won’t shut the hell up about killing commies and Muslims and maybe some stinkin’ hippies burning the library… and anyone else that threatens my quality of life.
He may not be the guy you want dating your daughter but he is the guy you want defending your interests.
This is not unlike Trump, who may be exactly what is claimed: a self-centered egotistical bag of dícks… but one that spent 4 years trying, and sometimes accomplishing, things that are aligned with my best interests.
Master Sgt Parker may actually be a great guy but I don’t want a great guy. I want a psychopath that is properly conditioned to have his sharp end perpetually pointed at the enemy.
Well-said, CH.
Bring Back Beards Better.
The idea that unkempt hair leads to poor discipline is silly, and dangerous. I can only think of a few more disciplined fighting forces than the type of men who fought in line formations getting pelted by all asorted artillery munitions as they doubled timed to get in musket range followed by bayonet charges.
Organizations tend to recruit the type of men it advertised itself as being. Hard, masculine, beard havers may be just a little “savage”, but that’s precisely the type of men you want pointed at the enemy and not left bored twiddling their thumbs at home… or worse.
The US military has overly groomed itself and now finds its ranks full of… well… I’ll just let the Army’s Emma speak for herself.
https://youtu.be/C8-Yslv4PME?si=exAl6OurmhbnpTZM
If the military spent half the time it did on policing grooming standards and replaced it with actual warfighting, it would be a fairly different force. I suspect a more effective one.
@GrayBlack, I think a good compromise is that if you earn your Expert Soldier Badge you can grow a beard. I bet you would see a lot more Soldiers competing for that badge then.
@grayblack, maybe Bring Back Better Beards…
Something nasty on a soldier’s neck because they got ingrown hairs is not a beard. It’s just something nasty.
Better Beards need to be properly-trimmed and in some cases oiled and perfumed, like JEB Stuart.
Maybe the US Army can go back to commanders making their own costumes, too, like Custer and Patton.
The modern Army is not necessarily over-groomed, just under-led. Starting at the top.
That won’t get better by allowing facial hair that WILL interfere with the masks they need to protect against nuclear, biological, and chemical threats.
By the way, what is meant by “uniform” and why was it considered important?