1 00:00:00,379 --> 00:00:03,250 Hello , I am Lieutenant General John 2 00:00:03,250 --> 00:00:06,119 Degos , and I am your Air Force Surgeon 3 00:00:06,119 --> 00:00:08,810 General . I wanna thank you for joining 4 00:00:08,810 --> 00:00:11,289 me today to spend a few moments of your 5 00:00:11,289 --> 00:00:14,289 time discussing changes to the shaving 6 00:00:14,289 --> 00:00:17,600 waiver process . Our air force is in 7 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,360 the midst of more changes now than 8 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,350 nearly any point since its inception . 9 00:00:24,389 --> 00:00:26,350 As it goes with any time of great 10 00:00:26,350 --> 00:00:28,829 change , it can be difficult to stay 11 00:00:28,829 --> 00:00:31,959 abreast of each pivot . That's why your 12 00:00:31,959 --> 00:00:34,310 leadership and I feel that it's 13 00:00:34,310 --> 00:00:36,477 important to speak with you directly . 14 00:00:37,139 --> 00:00:40,619 Pseudo folliculitis Barbie or PFB 15 00:00:40,930 --> 00:00:43,729 for short , is a chronic inflammatory 16 00:00:43,729 --> 00:00:47,009 skin condition due to the entrapment of 17 00:00:47,009 --> 00:00:50,889 recently cut short hairs . 5 years 18 00:00:50,889 --> 00:00:53,490 ago we established guidance for shaving 19 00:00:53,490 --> 00:00:56,729 profiles and implemented a 5 year 20 00:00:56,729 --> 00:00:59,889 profile for patients with PFB . 21 00:01:00,549 --> 00:01:03,630 This guidance did not , however , offer 22 00:01:03,630 --> 00:01:06,510 medical providers clear language on the 23 00:01:06,510 --> 00:01:10,000 diagnosis of PFB , and it did not 24 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,709 differentiate PFB from shaving 25 00:01:12,709 --> 00:01:15,470 irritation . They are two different 26 00:01:15,470 --> 00:01:18,300 things . Ensuring a standardized 27 00:01:18,300 --> 00:01:21,510 approach to managing PFB is essential . 28 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,440 And it is crucial that we provide 29 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,470 consistent and effective care to our 30 00:01:27,470 --> 00:01:30,139 service members , enabling them to meet 31 00:01:30,139 --> 00:01:32,910 grooming standards while managing their 32 00:01:32,910 --> 00:01:35,379 condition . The guidance we wrote in 33 00:01:35,379 --> 00:01:37,779 2020 expired this year . 34 00:01:38,849 --> 00:01:41,209 Currently , there is no Department of 35 00:01:41,209 --> 00:01:43,849 the Air Force level guidance on the 36 00:01:43,849 --> 00:01:47,209 diagnosis or profiling of PFB 37 00:01:47,690 --> 00:01:50,139 while other services have specific 38 00:01:50,139 --> 00:01:53,870 instructions in place . This lack of 39 00:01:53,870 --> 00:01:56,190 standardized guidance has led to 40 00:01:56,190 --> 00:01:59,620 inconsistencies in how shaving profiles 41 00:01:59,620 --> 00:02:03,099 are issued and managed across our force . 42 00:02:03,980 --> 00:02:07,349 On March 1st we will issue new shaving 43 00:02:07,349 --> 00:02:10,130 guidance that is easier to understand , 44 00:02:10,539 --> 00:02:14,100 comply with , and enforce . Going 45 00:02:14,100 --> 00:02:16,940 forward , all airmen with a medical 46 00:02:16,940 --> 00:02:20,740 necessity for shaving profiles must be 47 00:02:20,740 --> 00:02:22,940 evaluated by a health care provider . 48 00:02:23,809 --> 00:02:26,199 All current shaving profiles will 49 00:02:26,199 --> 00:02:29,250 remain valid but will expire 90 50 00:02:29,250 --> 00:02:32,369 calendar days after the respective 51 00:02:32,369 --> 00:02:35,690 periodic health assessment effective 1 52 00:02:35,690 --> 00:02:39,210 March or later pending input from the 53 00:02:39,210 --> 00:02:43,100 CSA and SISAF . Existing 5 54 00:02:43,100 --> 00:02:45,660 year shaving profiles are permitted to 55 00:02:45,660 --> 00:02:49,020 expire at a member's next periodic 56 00:02:49,020 --> 00:02:51,619 health assessment . There are more 57 00:02:51,619 --> 00:02:54,070 details in the official memorandum , 58 00:02:54,339 --> 00:02:56,970 and I urge you to both read and discuss 59 00:02:56,970 --> 00:03:00,050 it . I also want to take a moment to 60 00:03:00,050 --> 00:03:02,539 thank you . Our Air Force is the 61 00:03:02,539 --> 00:03:04,660 greatest in the world , and that's 62 00:03:04,660 --> 00:03:07,779 because of you . Your dedication to 63 00:03:07,779 --> 00:03:10,899 upholding and enforcing high standards 64 00:03:10,899 --> 00:03:13,899 is as important today as it was when 65 00:03:13,899 --> 00:03:16,460 you first took your oath , and there's 66 00:03:16,460 --> 00:03:19,259 a reason that our nation looks to us 67 00:03:19,259 --> 00:03:21,940 when trying to determine what right 68 00:03:21,940 --> 00:03:24,470 looks like . Thank you .