Soldier Granted Exception to South Dakota National Guard Policy

A South Dakota solider is being allowed to do something that is usually forbidden in the military - sporting long hair.

Specialist Moses Brave Heart of the South Dakota Army National Guard’s 235th Military Police Company is growing his hair long after receiving an exception to the longstanding policy which typically forbids hair longer than four inches.

Brave Heart grew up on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation and is a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe. He began his military career in the North Dakota National Guard in 2020, before transferring to the South Dakota National Guard in April of this year.

According to the National Guard, Brave Heart cut his hair to join four years ago thinking that he didn't have any other option. But he later learned that the guard had a religious exemption for instances like this.

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In May of 2023, Brave Heart’s exception to policy was approved by the Department of Defense and he began to let his hair grow. Brave Heart says he's using the opportunity to express his Lakota culture and educate the soldiers around him.

LOOK: 10 Reasons to Visit the South Dakota Badlands

Returning from a weekend trip to Rapid City, South Dakota for state basketball tournaments we decided to visit the Badlands National Park.

A quick turn-off I-90 will take you into some of the most awe-inspiring scenery.

It's also fun to note that several big-screen movies were filmed in the Badlands. Dances With Wolves, Starship Troopers, Armageddon, and most recently, Academy Award winner, Nomadland.

It's a spectacular park with tons to do. If you're setting out on a hike, bring lots of water and sign the hikers' logs at the trailheads. It could save your life. It's a tough place to survive.

Here are 10 facts about the Badlands:

Gallery Credit: Danny V