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Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Why Folks Think This New U.S. Marines Policy is Trying to Keep Black Men Out of the Corps
The United States Marine Corps has officially ended a decades-long policy, leaving many Black men vulnerable and experts questioning racist intent. Back in March, the Marine administration gave soldiers 90 days to be reexamined. Now, the deadline is here. It's no secret solders in the military have to abide by strict grooming policies. All male service members are expected to be clean-shaven, with exceptions being made in the Marines for men suffering from various skin conditions, according to the Marine Corps Times. This so-called 'shaving waiver' was introduced in the '70s, and until right now, there's been no discrepancies. But after the Pentagon's recent review of grooming standards, things have changed. In a directive issued in March, soldiers suffering from skin conditions like Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) will no longer be eligible for waivers, Stars and Stripes reported. And if they fail to meet grooming standards, they could be subjected to expulsion. The move drew direct pushback from dermatologists who say Black men will disproportionately be affected by the new policy. 'This is so targeted and intentional,' said Chris Adigun, a board-certified dermatologist based in North Carolina told NBC News. PFB — commonly known as razor bumps — affects around 60 percent of Black men, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. For men with thick, curly facial hair, razor bumps can cause severe discomfort and can negatively affect one's health and confidence. Service members with PFB were required to have a medical exam within 90 days of the March announcement, this marks June as the deadline month. If their condition doesn't improve with a treatment plan, soldiers could be 'honorably discharged,' according to Jacoby Getty, a spokesperson for the Corps' Manpower and Reserve Affairs. The Pentagon's review comes on the heels of President Donald Trump's blitz on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Many folks like Air Force veteran Ed Anderson told NBC the grooming policy will likely change racial relations in the military. 'It's mostly soldiers of color who are impacted by this,' he said. 'I don't see this as a productive and effective means of retaining and recruiting troops.'
The Independent
27-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
New grooming standards in the Marines will target Black men, critics charge
The US Marine Corps is eliminating waivers that previously allowed service members who suffer from razor bumps to forgo shaving — an action critics say disproportionately affects Black men. The US military requires all male service members to be clean-shaven. However, the military introduced shaving wavers in the 1970s to address genetic skin conditions like pseudofolliculitis barbae, better known as razor bumps or ingrown hairs. Now, thanks to guidance issued in March, men with a PFB or ingrown hair diagnosis could be expelled from the Marines if the issue continues. Aimed at enhancing Marines' "warfighting capability," the guidance states that service members with PFB must undergo a medical evaluation within 90 days. If their condition doesn't improve within a year following a four-step treatment plan, Marines with PFB may be discharged with an honorable discharge for "incompatibility with service" at their commanding officer's discretion, Jacoby Getty, a spokesperson for the Corps' Manpower and Reserve Affairs, told in March. The recent policy update under Brig. Gen. David R. Everly reversed a 2022 rule that prevented Marines from being discharged solely due to the skin condition. Over the past three years, service members could receive temporary or permanent shaving waivers or 'no shave chits' if their PFB was unresponsive to topical treatments. PFB affects up to 60 percent of Black men, the highest rate among all groups, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. People with PFB can experience painful bumps, itching, and even scarring after shaving. There is no cure for PFB, but laser hair removal is the most effective long-term solution, according to the US Pharmacist. Black service members represent roughly 15 percent to 16 percent of the active-duty force, yet they account for 66 percent of those holding shaving waivers, reports. Critics of this guidance, including an active military dermatologist who agreed to remain anonymous while speaking with NBC News, said this rule has 'nothing to do with readiness.' 'On its face, it's a racist policy, because this is a condition that impacts African Americans and other people of color predominantly just by the nature of hair growth on the face,' the dermatologist said in an article published on May 24. Earlier this year, the US Air Force also revised its guidelines on PFB, announcing that shaving waivers will end 90 days after an airman's next annual medical evaluation, though the criteria for continued eligibility remain unclear. Air Force veteran Ed Anderson, 70, told NBC News that he views this move as another example of the 'ongoing attacks' on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within the federal government. 'It's mostly soldiers of color who are impacted by this,' Anderson told the outlet. 'I don't see this as a productive and effective means of retaining and recruiting troops.' It's unknown how many Marines the new policy will impact, as the service does not keep centralized records of those with PFB shaving exemptions, Getty said.
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
US military spent $6 billion on troop recruitment and retention in 3 years
The United States military has spent over $6 billion in the last three years to recruit and keep service members, according to data shared by the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The money went into bonuses and programmes aimed at reversing a drop in enlistment, especially during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, when lockdowns limited recruiters' access to schools and public events. The Navy spent more than any other service, even though it is smaller than the Army. The military has long used financial incentives, but the spending increased sharply from 2022 to 2024. According to the services, these measures helped improve recruitment, with all services except the Navy meeting their targets last year. All are expected to meet them this year. Speaking to a Senate Armed Services subcommittee in March, Admiral James Kilby, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, said the Navy was focused on keeping experienced personnel. 'Retention is a critical component of achieving our end-strength goals,' he said, as reported by the Associated Press (AP). He also noted that while reenlistment rates were stable among enlisted sailors, there were gaps in certain officer roles such as aviation, submarine warfare, and medical professions. The Army had the most challenges with recruitment over the last decade but has recently made a strong recovery. A major part of its strategy was the Future Soldier Prep Course at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Launched in August 2022, it offers lower-performing recruits up to 90 days of academic or fitness training before basic training. The programme has helped bring thousands into service. The Army spent more than any other branch on recruitment in 2022 and 2024, but the Navy spent the most in 2023, a year when it faced a large shortfall in new enlistees. The Navy also gave out the most retention bonuses roughly 70,000 a year over the past three years more than double the Army, which has a much larger force. The Marine Corps and the Space Force have generally met their targets, although the Marines had to draw heavily from delayed entry candidates in 2022. The Marines spent the least overall but saw a big increase in retention bonuses in 2024. According to Marine spokesperson Maj. Jacoby Getty, that rise from $126 million in 2023 to $201 million in 2024—was due to a policy change allowing early reenlistment. 'More than 7,000 Marines received bonuses,' he said. In 2023, Marine Commandant Gen. Eric Smith commented on bonuses during a naval conference, saying, 'Your bonus is you get to call yourself a Marine. There's no dollar amount that goes with that,' according to AP. The Air Force increased bonuses in 2023 to fill roles in aircraft maintenance, munitions, and security. Spending went down in 2024. The Space Force does not currently offer enlistment bonuses. Across the services, bonuses are targeted to fill hard-to-staff roles in cyber, intelligence, special operations, and certain combat jobs.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Marine Corps Updates Child Care Program with Guidelines on Abuse Reporting, Staffing, Disabilities
The Marine Corps announced "significant updates and additions" to its child care program in an administrative message last week that clarifies training requirements for staff, outlines the program's responsibilities for children with disabilities, and delineates the process for reporting serious incidents such as suspected child abuse, among others. The Marine Corps' Child and Youth Program is intended to provide "high-quality and affordable" child care to support families with children between 6 weeks and 18 years old, according to the update. Military parents often rely on these services to take care of their children amid busy schedules, deployments and frequent moves. While the announcement of the changes came last week, the order is dated December 2024 and outlines procedures for quality-assurance inspections of service facilities and practices, as well as the establishment of written policies as they relate to child abuse prevention, accreditation and overall safety procedures, for example. Read Next: Ranger School Is Getting a New Fitness Assessment Maj. Jacoby Getty, a spokesperson for the service's Manpower and Reserve Affairs, told that some of the points listed in the updated policy are not necessarily "new to the fleet," such as the assignment of leader responsibilities for overseeing the program or periodic family feedback, but that it clarified policies as they relate to staff training or incident reporting, for example, as part of a regular service review of policy. Getty said that Marine Corps orders are reviewed and revised every six years after their publication "to provide affordable, quality child and youth care in a safe, healthy and nurturing environment." One notable part of the update was the description of the Marine Corps SharePoint Serious Incident Report feature, which replaced the service's old reporting function called Gear Locker "several years ago," Getty said. According to the updated policy, the SharePoint is meant to document, track and store instances of serious medical incidents, "suspected institutional child abuse/neglect," unattended child issues, and "problematic sexual behavior in children and youth" reporting. In April 2024, published an investigation into the military's Child Development Centers, which fall under the umbrella of service child care programs and provide care for children up to five years old. The investigation found CDCs lacked safeguards to ensure alleged abuse is reported and prevented parents from accessing information about incidents. The report generated an immediate investigation by the Pentagon's inspector general. The publication also reported that in December 2024 -- the date on the recent Marine Corps policy update -- that five Marine families had filed federal claims against the government alleging that a day care at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, engaged in negligent hiring practices, training and supervision that led to child abuse and neglect. A spokesperson for the base told at the time that the service was aware of the legal action and was working with authorities amid their investigation. When asked whether the SharePoint addresses the concerns alleged by the Yuma families and if they can use it to monitor progress on the reports, Yvonne Carlock, another spokesperson for the Manpower and Reserve Affairs division, said that "the SIRs are for internal Marine Corps reporting, it isn't an open site for families or the public. The installation provides updates to the families regarding their specific situation." One struggle that parents of children who were allegedly abused outlined in investigation of CDCs last year revolved around having to request information -- including video of abuse -- through Freedom of Information Act requests. One family spoke to last year said that they were told to pay $200 per editing hour for the videos, costing them roughly $15,000 total to view footage of their daughter being abused. According to the Marine Corps update from last week, parents looking to obtain a copy of videos at the service's Child and Youth Program, or CYP, sites must go through the FOIA process, though it was unclear whether or what costs may be associated. Closed-circuit television, or CCTV, is meant to provide parents a means to observe their children and staff and "deters child abuse and neglect," the update said. "CYP must not make release determinations nor respond directly to a parent requesting to either view, or obtain a copy of, a CCTV video recording except to direct the parent to the installation FOIA coordinator," according to the update. However, the update also said that, "in the spirit of providing 'unrestricted access' to children where CCTV is available, parents must be allowed to view their children in real time interacting with other children" and staff "by viewing their children through CCTV monitors on the premises." Those videos must be maintained for a minimum of 90 days, though "should management become aware of a claim against the government; foresee litigation as a direct result of events occurring at the CYP facility that may have been recorded by the CCTV system; or required retention of a recording pending investigation into allegations of misconduct depicted in the video, the responsive permanent recording must not be destroyed until released for destruction by" legal counsel. The Marine Corps update of its child care program also references several supporting Navy documents that outline background check protocols for employees charged with caring for service members' children at the facilities, though the recent document was implemented under "a Marine Corps initiative," Getty said. The program also "must embrace inclusion as an attitude and philosophy that welcomes and supports the participation of children with and without disabilities and supports reasonable accommodations," according to the update, adding that "no child who meets basic age and eligibility requirements must, solely based on disability or identified needs, be excluded from participation in" the program. On Monday, reported that Hill Air Force Base, Utah, the service's second-largest base by population and size, would be shuttering one of its two day care centers amid hiring freezes ordered by President Donald Trump's administration. "CDCs traditionally face high turnover, and several recent departures in conjunction with the hiring freeze have reduced the number of supervisors and trainers available," said Kendahl Johnson, a Hill Air Force Base spokesperson. "Maintaining two open CDCs at current personnel levels would pose an unacceptable risk to the 200 children who remain in care at Hill AFB." Thirty-one families were first notified March 12 that they would be disenrolled from one of the bases's facilities, nearly a week before the Department of Defense issued a memo that it would exempt certain positions from the hiring freeze, including "child and youth programs staff" and instructors at DoD schools or child care centers. For the Marine Corps, Getty said the service has resumed hiring in support of the child care program following the initial freeze and that it was "not aware of any families being disenrolled or any personnel being released from the program. Additionally, no CYP centers were shut down." "Our commitment remains steadfast in providing consistent, high-quality child care and youth services to support our Marines and their families," he added. Related: Marine Corps Day Care Hit with Legal Allegations of Widespread Child Abuse
