Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s pursuit of a clean-shaven military took its latest step Monday when the Pentagon announced that troops who require medical shaving waivers for longer than a year will face involuntary separation, according to an official memo.

The announcement, which is dated Aug. 20, follows a force-wide review launched by the Pentagon in March to assess military grooming and fitness standards.

In the memo, Hegseth mandates that troops who seek individual exemptions must receive final waiver approval through their unit commander, which can only be granted after a written recommendation from a medical officer.

Service members granted waivers must then “participate in a medical treatment plan,” the memo states.

If medical treatment does not resolve the issue and a waiv

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