I think you're missing the point, htimreimer. The fundamental issue being raised is that piercings, tattoos, weird hair, etc. doesn't make someone less respectable, capable, or clean and proper, let alone unsuitable for a position, even in the military.
More often than not, this is all down to little more than a generation gap. Middle-aged people and seniors who've been in lockstep with the status quo for decades, lack any sense of themselves, and are incapable of seeing merit in anything that's too far outside the bland, conservative utopia they've pieced together in their heads.
