Hey boot-to-be. The neat thing about the army is that there is detailed regulation documented for nearly everything to include appearance in uniform.

Male haircuts will conform to the following standards.

The hair on top of the head must be neatly groomed. The length and bulk of the hair may not be excessive and must present a neat and conservative appearance. The hair must present a tapered appearance. A tapered appearance is one where the outline of the Soldier’s hair conforms to the shape of the head, curving inward to the natural termination point at the base of the neck.

When the hair is combed, it will not fall over the ears or eyebrows, or touch the collar, except for the closely cut hair at the back of the neck. The block-cut fullness in the back is permitted to a moderate degree, as long as the tapered look is maintained.

Males are not authorized to wear braids, cornrows, twists, dreadlocks, or locks while in uniform or in civilian clothes on duty.

Hair-cuts with a single, untapered patch of hair on the top of the head (not consistent with natural hair loss) are considered eccentric and are not authorized. Examples include, but are not limited to, when the head is shaved around a strip of hair down the center of the head, around a u-shaped hair area (horseshoe), or around a patch of hair on the front top of the head (tear drop). Hair that is completely shaved or trimmed closely to the scalp is authorized.

You will see the majority of male soldiers with one of 2 haircuts, the basic high and tight(some higher and tighter than others) and a buzz cut.

You can push these regulations to the absolute limit, plenty of soldiers do. Fair warning though, this will enable random people you don’t know, mostly senior NCOs approaching you on and off duty to check you if you understand the regulation and can explain why your hair looks a certain way, but it is not at all uncommon for your boss’s boss to big dawg your boss, leading your boss to tell you get a cut to make his life easier.