The reason for the beard is due to pioneers in olden days also acted as a farrier within a Regiment and the beard was thought to protect his face from the heat of the forge. As well as that task of being a farrier/pioneer and the tasks Reynier highlighted, a bit of an artistic licence was introduced at some point and it was said because the pioneers always started these tasks well before day break, they would miss the normal time for morning shaving and ablutions as they were already up and at work on the battlefield or in the forge. Other tasks they would do would be battlefield denial obstacles etc, and another task they had in the farrier role was to dispatch any critically injured horses that were still alive on the battle field but dying of wounds. This why on some Pioneer ceremonial axes and Household Cavalry mounted ceremonial farriers you will see a large spike to the rear of the axe head - this would used for humanly killing the horse. And once back behind friendly lines, the shaving time had been missed so the beard growth was allowed.
Sorry to go off on a tangent …
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No beards for US Army combat engineer types nowadays. Unless they happen to be a SF 18C and serving under modified grooming standards.
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Not just the engineers.
Gray Beard? Like I posted earlier today -
Beware the old man in a profession where men usually die young. 
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We did something similar but with a M998 but we didn’t go as high, stopped behind the driver and was made of wood. That’s going probably drive funny and at some point get the roof looking like a can opener hit it.
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The axe blade was to remove the hoof with a deceased beasts’ service number branded on, so the regimental bean counters knew the critter was really a gonner and hadn’t been re-sprayed and stabled in a lock-up in Toxteth…
Cheers,
M
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Yep, a Pie 'n Ear…
Cheers,
M
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Good point, which I forgot about👍
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I mentioned US Army SF Combat Engineers regarding comparison to other armies. Of course all you Group guys got to wear the facial hair when needed by mission requirements. 
Here’s my old buddy from LRS, Sgt Jojo (on the left) augmenting with 19th Group in Afghanistan in 2004/2005 sporting his Dusty Hill & Billy Gibbons mode, while the rest of us were in the Balkans collecting on old accounts dues
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Cope goes retro…
One from Live Resin, listed as coming soon…
For your modelling enjoyment
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I remember when I had to do that, we had to run out in front of a Chieftain near the Tidworth washdown, and lay on the concrete road as it trundled over you. You had a piece of chalk and you had to try and write your initials on the belly plate. Then a few days later we were in fully prepped defence fire trenches and a chieftain rolled over us as we were either in the trench or the sleeping shelter and it stopped for a few seconds, then moved off again … pretty intimidating … and noisy
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1/48 BTR-D from MLB Maquettes
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