Man cuts his hair for the first time in 15 years to enlist in Army

Hope Schreiber
·Writer
Reynaldo Arroyo, 23, cuts his hair for the first time in 15 years in order to enlist in the United States Army. (Photo: Facebook)
Reynaldo Arroyo, 23, cuts his hair for the first time in 15 years in order to enlist in the United States Army. (Photo: Facebook)

A 23-year-old man decided to cut his hair, which he has been growing for 15 years, in order to enlist in the United States Army.

Reynaldo Arroyo ultimately said goodbye to his flowing locks at the Army recruiting station in Missoula, Montana on Thursday. Despite growing it since he was eight years old, with his hair nearly reaching his waist, the future Army infantryman said he was "just really excited to be enlisting" in a video shared on the Salt Lake City Army Recruiting Battalion Facebook page.

Due to the Army's strict guidelines when it comes to the personal appearance of their soldiers, it meant Arroyo's hair had to go.

"People often tell us that they would have joined the Army but..." the Army's Facebook post read. "Future Soldier Arroyo has been growing his hair for 15 years and yesterday he decided to donate it to the Locks of Love foundation in exchange for a brighter future and the opportunity to become one of the most elite war fighters on this planet."

Sitting down in barber's chair, with his hair sectioned off into several braids, the stylist got to work. Arroyo's eyes widened a bit when one long ponytail was placed in his lap.

Arroyo's hair will be donated to Locks of Love, which provides hairpieces for children.

"Most of our recipients suffer from the autoimmune disease, alopecia areata," Locks of Love's website reads. "Others have experienced hair loss from radiation therapy and chemotherapy, severe burns or trauma, and various other genetic and dermatological conditions."

According to the Army Times, he had an estimated 150 inches of hair to donate.

"Hopefully some lucky little girl is going to get [the hair],” Arroyo said.

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