I've never understood the hostility of the U.S. armed forces to beards and longer hair. Like Tom says, that wasn't always the case with this, either.

I just spent a few days last week touring the national military parks at Antietam and Gettysburg. It was very interesting. Lots of photos and illustrations there of troops in the field (both dead and alive). Anyone who goes to pieces at the sight of soldiers with a goatee better avoid these two places, that's for sure.

Apparently soldiers sporting a beard and longer hair didn't seem to pose a problem for anyone in the Confederate and Union armies, from the lowly private all the way up to general officers. Maybe the Bundeswehr has simply adopted a similar attitude.