Standards

One of the interesting things about working in this international environment is all the different grooming and appearance standards - even among the US troops.

There are more than a few American military types running around with beards, which is always interesting to see (I'll try to grab some photos). They're generally in jobs that involve directly interacting with Afghans, and so for cultural reasons they get to skip shaving.

But this ponytail is something you never see accompanying an American uniform. It belongs to a soldier from the Czech Republic. Her name is Lucy - I met her when she came to juggling class. Some of the female Swedish troops have blonde versions of the same coiffure, and there's even a German troop with pink streaks in her hair.

It's always a little startling to see stuff like that accompanying a military uniform, but I think it's cool to have a little variety and personal expression.