I was at an event recently with Canadian military personnel, and they appeared to have eliminated "traditional grooming standards". I asked a Canadian I was with and he said they had pretty much done away with traditional grooming standards in an effort to get more recruits. Don't know if he was 100% accurate, but the face piercings, partially shaven heads, and colored hair seemed to indicate he was. Don't get me wrong: everyone I saw looked well put together... it's just a departure from what most of us have seen. Much like beards in the AF: the vast majority I've seen are very well kept. I mean, spectacularly GQ-nice.
So how does DoD go forward? Do we adapt a standard that is more in line with perceived societal grooming norms, and is more "big picture", and less about gig lines?