A new Marine Corps policy allows for the separation or discharge of service members who suffer from a skin condition that causes pain and scarring from shaving. The new policy reverses one implemented in 2022 that protected such military personnel from having any administrative action taken against them at all. So, why the policy change now?
Well, it’s unclear why the change has been implemented, but one little fact about the skin condition should raise eyebrows — especially now, with the military under the leadership of President Donald Trump’s underqualified white supremacy hire, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who is helping his MAGA messiah rid the military of all things diversity, equity and inclusion.
The skin condition called pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) mainly affects Black men.
From Military.com:
The “interim guidance” issued Thursday gives military health care providers 90 days to reevaluate Marines diagnosed with pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB. If they don’t recover based on a four-phase treatment program outlined in the message, have to remain on a shaving waiver for more than a year, and a commander deems it fit, the Corps can administratively separate them “due to incompatibility with service,” according to the message.
The directive marks a reversal from a previous Marine Corps policy issued in 2022 that prohibited the service from administratively separating Marines solely based on the condition, which is caused when curled hairs grow back into the skin, resulting in inflammation.
It also comes at the same time Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a military-wide review of standards specifically focused on issues such as shaving waivers and body fat.
“In cases where a medical condition prevents a Marine from meeting required standards for an extended period — exceeding one year — administrative separation may be considered if it affects long-term service compatibility,” Maj. Jacoby Getty, a spokesperson for the Corps’ Manpower and Reserve Affairs, said in an emailed statement Friday when asked why Marines are no longer exempt from separation due to PFB.
“However, every effort will be made to support Marines through treatment and recovery before such decisions are considered,” he added. Getty emphasized that the new guidance is meant to imbue consistency across medical exemptions and that the service remains “fully committed” to supporting Marines with PFB.
“Fully committed,” huh? I mean, it seems like a reasonable person would consider refraining from penalizing a veteran over a medical condition they have no control over to be a bare minimum show of commitment, but what do I know?
Source: Marine Corps Policy Could Discharge Veterans With Skin Condition That Mainly Affects Black Men
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