Army issues spit and (nail) polish rules

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WASHINGTON — Go easy on the nail polish if you're a female soldier. Skip it if you're a guy.

The Army is preparing to release the first update to its dress code in a decade. The revised code will spell out reasons, for example, for its ban on dreadlocks and its approval of braids and cornrows.

The revised "Army Regulation 670-1, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia" incorporates dozens of changes to uniform and personal-appearance standards for soldiers. It is expected to take effect within four months, pending the signature of the Army secretary.

The revision incorporates many updates the service already has issued individually since 1992, said Lt. Col. Margaret Flott, chief of the Army's individual-readiness-policy division.

The Army always has had rules about hair length. Now, under revised Army policy, braids and cornrows — once considered a fad — are acceptable.

"As they've become a lot more acceptable in society, the Army has seen that they've presented a professional appearance that really allows women to groom their hair and maintain it," Flott said.

Dreadlocks, however, are still prohibited.

Multitone or flamboyant nail polish is also out. Fire-engine red, purple, blue, black and white are among the prohibited colors, as are khaki and camouflage. Men are not allowed to wear nail polish at all.

Military-dress codes evolve as society changes and advances in technologies and fabrics emerge.

For example, the current 1992 Army regulation says little about cell phones. But the new rules state that only one "electronic device," whether a phone, pager or personal-digital assistant, may be attached to a uniform. Whatever the device, it must be black, no larger than 4-by-2-by-1 inches and carried only for official duties.

Other items in the updated Army dress-code regulation:

"We have to balance individuality with organizational needs," Flott said.