Airman 1st Class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa in June 2019 became the first active-duty Sikh airman allowed to wear a turban, beard and long hair, which Sikhs tie in a bun and then cover with the turban. Singh was born in India and followed his father, an asylee, to the U.S. in 2012. Thousands of American Muslims and members of other minority faiths serve in our nations military and should be able to practice their faith while serving, CAIRs spokesperson Ibrahim Hooper said in a statement. William Bailey, received a waiver to grow a beard in March. Last year, Capt. It interfaces with DAFPD 52-1, Chaplain Corps; Air Force Instruction (AFI) . Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Isnt the whole point of Religious Freedom that people CANT question your religious beliefs?? In March 2021, after Comer arrived at Maxwell Air Force Base, he started talking to his first sergeant about applying for a religious accommodation to obtain a beard waiver. It also outlines the process to request these exemptions, sets timelines for management to respond, and ensures that the approvals will follow someone throughout his or her career in the Air Force. Sopchak, an aerospace ground equipment craftsman at Hill Air Force Base in Utah,said other airmen have been emailing him with questions about his faith. In August, images posted on Air Force amn/nco/snco teased a pilot program for inclusive male grooming standards which would allow service members to grow neatly-kept facial hair up to a quarter-inch in length, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. For a long time, the old Norse mythology of Odin, Thor and Ragnark was just that for Staff Sgt. So far, the Air Force has banned beards for all except those who have five-year medical waivers for pseudofolliculitis barbae, or chronic razor bumps, or religious waivers for those for whom beards are central to their observance, like Sikhs, Jews, Muslims and Norse Heathens. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? It was more relatable.. The review directed Air Force commanders to conduct a root cause analysis of racial disparities within their commands, develop an action plan for reporting them, then release a progress report within six months. In addition to believing in the old Norse gods, he said, Heathens believe that they are descended from them. While the Air Force prohibits male members from growing beards, waivers are issued to airmen who,. Service spokesperson Ann Stefanek said the proposal is under discussion by the Black/African American Employment Strategy Team, but hasnt been approved. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a religious accommodation beard waiver. endobj Yes, Navy Seals can grow beards. >_fn7dw)>S#a\7]zdWwgsZMA2!2/af>]]I+ .$sMOr])0`F\>-vxX|K h%&ZG2xI%#}pxg@;%rE*q"TY(kfIeWgh&*$|- F'$_L2;&"bw.%i^XxzS\'Z+gQI,=b6)J|Se{Sl)xog`7^}T# N7 x+|B7 It is a sincerely held belief, but I have not been a Muslim for long, only a couple weeks. In December, the Air Force commissioned its first female Muslim chaplain . In March 2021, after Comer arrived at Maxwell Air Force Base, he started talking to his first sergeant about applying for a religious accommodation to obtain a beard waiver. Paragraph 1.5.2.3 should be renumbered as 1.5.2.4. According to the Nevada Army Guard's and Air Guard's personnel offices, the state has eight Guardsmen - four Soldiers and four Airmen - who declare Pagan as their religious preference. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. We are working to take away the stigma attached to airmen who have a medical need or a religious accommodation for facial hair, Bass wrote in a comment on her Facebook page on Tuesday. Changing policy, actually is the easy part, Wright said. The Air Force is committed to continuing to remove barriers that prevent airmen from applying for, and being accepted into, career broadening opportunities, Bass said in a statement sent to Task & Purpose. That was followed up by more leaked slides in October which promised that an updated facial hair standard would be considered at a November meeting of the Air Force Uniform Board, Coffee or Die Magazine reported. For AFR waiver processing instructions see AFMAN 368001, - Participation and Training Procedures. Less of having to work with skeleton crews, he said. And in February, the Air Force officially updated its regulations to formally allow airmen to request religious beard waivers. The waiver group also had a greater rate of disciplinary action compared to the no-waiver group (18.96% versus 11.45%). The U.S. Air Force issued new guidelines on Friday giving members who wear religious apparel a way to serve the country without compromising their faith. The Air Force is first in many things, but in this case the branch came in second to the Army, which in 2017 became the first military branch to grant religious exemptions for beards, turbans and hijabs. ~pkgEsHh,1%l|hJ 2 0 obj The updated policy requires religious apparel to be neat and conservative and not impede an individuals ability to perform assigned military duties or wear protective equipment. Previously, the only exceptions for active-duty personnel were medical waivers. Many airmens dearest wish may soon come true if the Air Force greenlights a pilot program allowing some men to grow beards. Something about what he found resonated, and Sopchak became a Norse Heathen. requests requiring a waiver for uniform wear and grooming have largely fallen into one of three faith practices: the wear of a hijab; the wear of a beard; and the wear of a turban or under-turban/patka, with uncut beard and uncut hair. USAF photo by Alexander Goad. The Hammer of Thor is available to be placed on government headstones and markers in the United States. | % The US Air Force has updated its dress code policy to outline a clear approval process for Sikhs and Muslims who want to serve while wearing their articles of faith. The idea would let participating airmen sport well-kept beards no longer than one-quarter inch, Military.com first reported Monday. Also, do you have to be able to prove that you are that religion or can you just claim that you are a Muslim and thats that. Big news today for the many airmen out there who want to grow out their beards: not only is there little evidence showing that beards interfere with a gas mask seal, but the Air Forces ban on beards may also be contributing to racial discrimination and hurting promotion opportunities within the service. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. For ANG | FILE PHOTO: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. The Quran, too, was used in a similar manner. And in June, a Sikh airman received approval to wear a beard and turban. Below are current coronavirus disease 2019 statistics for Department of Air Force personnel: *These numbers include all of the cases that were reported since our last update on Jan. 18. In addition to promoting one's own well-being and four pillars, respecting others whose viewpoints differ from them is expected from the total force. Maysaa Ouza, the first Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps officer to wear the hijab, was also featured in a short NBC documentary last year. The military branch said it will remove "adverse information" from the records of those who sought an exemption on "religious, administrative, or medical grounds and who received adverse actions solely due to their . Paragraph 1.5.2.3 added: Members requesting a medical waiver to wear a beard must submit a letter This condition can appear in a person of any ethnicity but is predominantly seen in Blacks/African Americans, study authors wrote. The DAF will remove adverse information from records of those currently serving service members who sought. But so far, the call for beards seems to fall on deaf ears. As of Jan. 21, the Air Force has administratively separated 111 active duty Airmen. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The waivers remain in effect even when the airman is deployed or has a permanent change-of-station move, the Air Force said in the release. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. A California-based airman has become the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver after a 2014 policy. Shaving waivers can hold back an airman's career, and since most airmen with waivers are Black, the regulations are effectively discriminatory. Here are some active soldiers who have been allowed to keep their facial hair. Staff Sgt. But if the unit commander is going to say no, the regulation said, it must be an unusual situation and based on real (not theoretical) compelling government interest, such as safety. A federal judge Thursday temporarily blocked the Air Force from penalizing a group of service members who are seeking a religious exemption to otherwise mandatory Covid-19 vaccination, in. The Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States which has helped more than 20 Sikh Americans serve in the military, applauded the changes. There could be more studies of this topic to come. The Army granted a similar waiver last year, and beard exemptions have been granted for a growing number of Sikhs and Muslims . Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel, Airman 1st Class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa. The Air Force's updated dress and personal appearance policy clarifies the gr ooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. The hammer of Thor, also known as Mjlnir, in 2013 was added to the list of religious symbols authorized to be engraved on gravestones at military cemeteries such as Arlington National Cemetery. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. The Air Force also granted its first religious accommodation beard waiver, to a Muslim airman, in 2018. Published Jul 14, 2021 8:57 AM EDT. There are also exceptions for Air Force Reservists serving less than 30 days. Previously, these airmen needed to get their waivers updated annually. HbMc#!6d~\@sQfe_Mp X_T1ew,`CC _O3b eTBo~&aM(AL?z[vEIYf~;LI>*H~BL 3v3!2/)mC*f3d]UL!'7*^LtPNl2"8}Vo=N@&.&|Ye. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. Sikhs have served honorably and capably in the U.S. Armed Forces and other militaries around the world, and while we are eager for a blanket proclamation that all observant Sikh Americans can serve in every branch of the military without seeking accommodations, this policy clarification is a great step forward towards ensuring equality of opportunity and religious freedom in the Air Force.. There are many religious reasons why people might choose to grow a beard. 0. The studys findings are particularly significant because they come at a time when the Air Force is reckoning with racial disparities in the service overall. purifying respirators and controlled air purifying respirators or beard-bands: 3. work just as well as N95s, but may cost more, and thus may be found to impose . Sikhs have served honorably and capably in the U.S. Armed Forces and other militaries around the world, and while we are eager for a blanket proclamation that all observant Sikh Americans can serve in every branch of the military without seeking accommodations, this policy clarification is a great step forward towards ensuring equality of opportunity and religious freedom in the Air Force.. "They were well-respected. There's no more reliable source for news about your Air Force. It took Sopchak about 11 months to get his beard approved. Shaving sharpens the edges of facial hair and makes the condition worse, the college said, and shaving less frequently or allowing the beard to grow helps. United States Air Force members who refused to take the COVID vaccine for religious reasons will soon get a reprieve from the punitive actions the military took against them.. One civilian study from 2018 showed that 98% of study participants with an eighth-inch of beard passed the fit test with respirators that are similar to the M-50 gas masks used in the military in terms of material and fit. And if that airman is assigned to a unit that wears a beret of a particular color, the unit commander can order him to wear a turban of the same color. Still, she called the policy clarification a great step forward.. Contact the author here. Though some white supremacist groups in recent years have co-opted Norse symbols such as runes, Sopchak rejected that and said his faith is not racist in any way. Commonly referred to as razor bumps, PFB is a skin condition that makes shaving painful and can lead to permanent scarring if the skin is not allowed to heal, which makes it a common reason for receiving a shaving waiver. Air Force Officially OKs Beards, Turbans, Hijabs for Religious Reasons . In December, Military.com reported that the Air Force Honor Guard changed its policy in April to allow airmen with shaving waivers to apply and join the guard. And in June, a Sikh airman received approval to wear a beard and turban. The military branch . He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. Community for current and past members of the US Air Force. Published Feb 12, 2020 2:11 PM EST. I will also add, the whole reason I want a beard is to help me with my faith during Ramadan. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. Accommodations, after all, arent about special treatment they are about ensuring that religiously observant Sikhs and others dont have to choose between staying true to our faith and serving our country, he said. While these issues affected airmen of all races who had shaving waivers equally, Black or African-American airmen made up the majority of the waiver holders and thus bore a disproportionate share of the consequences. No Sikh American should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their career ambitions, said Giselle Klapper, Sikh Coalition Staff Attorney. Summary: Secret agent/spy Arthur is part of a private investigation, initiated by Saito, to infiltrate a secret collusion of the world's biggest energy corporations but treacher Airmen assigned to units wearing a beret of any color may wear an appropriately-colored head covering as directed by the unit commander, one sample memo explains. The Air Force Times reports on Air Force SSgt Garrett Sopchak, who just became the first US Air Force Airman to be allowed to wear a beard because he adheres to Norse Heathen religious beliefs. The study, which was published in July 2021, pointed out that many of the airmen who apply for medical shaving waivers are Black, because Black men are more likely to be affected by pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) commonly referred to as razor bumps than White men. 4 0 obj The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group that has pushed for changes to the Air Forces dress and appearance policy, commended the move. Singh wanted to serve in the U.S. military to defend the country that had taken his family in, according to the Sikh Coalition. Such a request for an exemption to a military policy can only be denied, the AFI change said, if the policy furthers a compelling government interest and is the least restrictive way of furthering that interest. On Monday, Captain Toor and three other Sikhs sued the Marine Corps in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, saying the corps's refusal to grant a religious waiver is arbitrary and. . He also hopes to grow the Heathen community in the area around Hill. This new study looked at a much larger share of data and involved 9,339 valid responses. We are working to take away the stigma attached to airmen who have a medical need or a religious accommodation for facial hair. Thats according to a new research paper published last week in the journal Military Medicine, which found that Air Force regulations against facial hair disproportionately affect Black or African American airmen and can lead to slower rates of promotion and limited job opportunities within the service. Religious head coverings are also required to be free of designs or markings unless the individuals uniform has a camouflage pattern. Its unclear how many people currently use shaving waivers. We recommend further study of gas mask and respirator fit testing with facial hair in the military population to clarify this.. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Sopchak said in a Tuesday interview that in the old sagas, a beard was a sign someone was a respected member of the community who could be trusted to help others. And. The airmans unit commander would then decide whether to endorse the request. There are plenty of smaller regulations detailing how religious beards and apparel should look in order to appear neat and conservative, the Air Force writes. Would beards be nice? If they didnt have one, in some of the stories, they were actually ridiculed. Get the latest military news, entertainment, and gear in your inbox daily. dx xE28;eN0ORG*sMhw_2iL!o@/dUKS0sD~-dd!7r.7ucOjP0GH#_&F%)wr-' Beard hair longer than two inches must be rolled and/or tied to achieve the required length. Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Under certain conditions, commanding officers can order the removal of turbans or hijabs to keep service members safe, the regulations state for example, while someone is walking within 25 feet of an operating aircraft. Theres a lot of things that we learn from the past and our ancestry, and its just carrying on the line, really.. As we work to build a more inclusive force, we are constantly assessing and evaluating all of the processes and programs that affect our Airmen, she said. The Air Force in recent years has begun granting waivers to allow airmen including airmen of the Muslim, Sikh and Norse Heathen or pagan faiths to grow beards for religious reasons. Air Force). Wright said he was opposed to facial hair in the Air Force for 29 of his 32 years in service. He is now about two weeks into growing his beard, and is waiting for it to come in a little more before he can start shaping it. When requests are precluded by military necessity, commanders and supervisors should seek reasonable alternatives.. . are divided over that study showing beard waivers hurt careers. The regulation follows years of individual airmen and other service members receiving waivers for religious beards and apparel. The services often claim that facial hair interferes with the seal of a gas mask, but an Air Force doctor has found no direct scientific evidence to support that claim.