For as long as I have been around and noticing the world around me, mustaches have been associated w/ Military/Law enforcement types. Is there a reason for this? Or did it just become fashionable?
This might not be the right sub, but if anyone can point me in the right direction that would be great.
While I don't know if this is in any way connected with modern fashion, it was not uncommon for 19th and 18th century European militarized to require particular facial hair styles. For instance, Napoleon's old guard was required to have a particular type of mustache. Sappers were often required to have beards. The uniformity of soldiers' appearance was intended to have a psychological effect on the enemy, when rank after rank would advance, be cut down, only to be replaced by more seemingly identical men (that and the general obsession with uniforms at the time).
For the U.S. Army, mustaches are the only facial hair allowed. Source: AR 670-1
Although you are obviously American it would be good to state that in the post and a more definite time period than currently stands. The same is not true of the UK military or police in my, albeit limited, experience.