Bell County Sheriffs Department

Nidal Hasan is seen at the Bell County Jail near Fort Hood, Texas, in November.

The judge in the trial of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan delayed pre-trial motions Friday when he ruled the defendant to be in violation of the Army's grooming standards.         

Hasan showed up for the half-day administrative hearing sporting a beard, which military prosecutors said was a violation of Army regulation 670-1 and court-martial rule 804(4)(1). Judge Col. Gregory Gross then went on record saying that Hasan's beard was a disruption to the proceedings.

"It is a disruption. The judge felt it was," Fort Hood media officer Chris Haug told msnbc.com. "He's in violation of the Army's dress and grooming standards," 

Army regulation 670-1 dictates the appearance of Army uniforms, while court-martial rule 804(4)(1) states  the accused shall be attired in dress or uniform as prescribed by a military judge.

"He's an active-duty soldier and should be in full uniform and clean shaven. That's what all active-duty soldiers are supposed to do," Haug said.

It was the first time Hasan has shown up in court with a beard.

According to Army rules, all males must be clean shaven when in uniform or civilian clothes while on duty.

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The defense indicated it would file a request for exception to the policy for religious accommodation for Hasan, an American-born Muslim, to the Department of the Army.There was no indication how long it would take for a decision to be made on such a request. 

The pre-trial motions will resume when Hasan adheres to the Army regulation or when a closed-circuit feed can be set up for him to observe the trial from a different location, the military said. A location has not been determined should the closed-circuit option be needed. 

The motions scheduled for Friday included a request for further continuance, resolution of discovery matters and whether the accused should receive the services of an expert neurologist at government expense. It was unclear when the motions would be addressed.

Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder. If convicted, he could face life without parole or the death penalty. 

Eight soldiers and five civilians were killed in the Nov. 5, 2009, attack on the Army base in Texas. Hasan was wounded and paralyzed from the chest down before being captured.

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Erin Trieb / VII for msnbc.com

For the past 22 years, Carla Fears has followed her husband, Sgt. 1st class Nathaniel Fears, from base to base, taking any job she could find. With her husband planning to retire in the next year or two, she's now trying to figure out what job she wants to do instead of what she has to do.

Strength. Resilience. Motivation. Confidence. Adaptability. Those are just some of the qualities military spouses mentioned when describing how their experience in the military -- by marriage -- should be attractive to prospective employers. I spoke with them at a job fair at Ft. Hood in Killeen, Texas, Wednesday, while reporting with photojournalist Erin Trieb. 

There was obvious pride in what they had learned from a life in the military; but there was also frustration. For many, moving from base to base, not just in the U.S. but also around the world, limited their career paths. With only a year or two in one place, they were often taking any job they could get, not following their passions or skills. Military spouses -- 95 percent women --  have an unemployment rate of 26 percent, according to the Department of Defense, over two times the national average for civilians.

According to job counselors at Ft. Hood, the military is making an effort to slow down transfers, to allow military families to stay in one place for at least three years. They are hosting job fairs and encouraging military spouses to add volunteer activities to their resumes. Military studies show that they volunteer at a rate four times the national average. They want to remind employers that even if a job history looks checkered, there are ways outside of a traditional job for people to learn leadership, team work and creativity. Melissa Brown, a military spouse who's family of four moved ten times within five states makes the point, "After 12 years as a military spouse, I can keep a team together." Meet more military spouses and learn about their story in the slideshow below.

Slideshow: Hiring our heroes' spouses

Military spouses get special attention at a job fair at Ft. Hood, Texas. Those married to military service members have an unemployment rate more than twice that of the civilian population.

Launch slideshow

More Hiring our Heroes, an initiative by NBC News and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that aims to get veterans back into the workforce.

Learn more about job fairs for veterans.

Also, explore Erin Trieb’s ongoing Homecoming Project, an awareness and educational campaign using imagery to educate the public about PTSD and the struggles many service members face after coming home from war.  Funds raised from the campaign benefit local non-profit groups serving veterans.

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