Giselle Klapper, a Sikh Coalition staff attorney, said her group has long been seeking a blanket proclamation that all Sikh Americans who wear turbans and beards as part of their faith can serve in every branch of the military without seeking individual accommodations. Gen. Charles A. McGee Leadership Award, named after the legendary Tuskegee Airman, will give either $18,000 per year, The Space Forces new leader has definedthree lines of effort he wants the young service to pursue, focusing on combat-ready forces, personnel management, and partnerships with other Pentagon organizations and allies. Its an unsubstantiated claim, dermatologist Lt. Col. Simon Ritchie told Task & Purpose in May. In 2018, Staff Sgt. And. The Air Force plans to update its Air Force Instruction regulations governing dress and personal appearance and medical care management to reflect this change. He joined Task & Purpose in 2019, after covering local news in Maine and FDA policy in Washington D.C. David loves hearing the stories of individual airmen and their families and sharing the human side of Americas most tech-heavy military branch. Air Force Global Strike Command is launching a new study of cancer risks among Airmen and Guardians who worked near intercontinental ballistic missiles and is developing new resources for current and former service members and their families. Still, Ritchie called for a study to come up with a conclusive answer. Sens. endobj
The U. S. Air Force has published new guidance for religious accommodations that allow airmen to wear beards, turbans and hijabs. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. It is unclear how many Norse pagans, Heathen, or Asatru followers are in the military, but they have become increasingly visible in recent years. The United States military continues to bend its strict grooming rules to appease Muslims, most recently allowing an Air Force sergeant to sport a beard for religious reasons. Air Force says recent beard approvals have not sparked an influx of x\[o~d/Sp|A|=hdDPwfvIQuDgg?ydtx.b`1K55'V#wLDP,(Wj Many airmens dearest wish may soon come true if the Air Force greenlights a pilot program allowing some men to grow beards. The Hammer of Thor is available to be placed on government headstones and markers in the United States. Coffee or Die Magazine | Beards in Blue? Air Force Uniform Board Will The Air Force encourages religious freedoms of service members as one of four pillars of resiliency to help build and sustain a strong and healthy workplace and community. He hopes to become a Gothi essentially an ordained priest and perhaps become an official Air Force chaplain. 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. 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. Here are some active soldiers who have been allowed to keep their facial hair. 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. There's no more reliable source for news about your Air Force. This condition can appear in a person of any ethnicity but is predominantly seen in Blacks/African Americans, study authors wrote. I cant tell you how many hundreds of times, probably thousands, that weve gotten [that] question. If you saw a man that had a beard, you could almost guarantee that they were a good person, that you could go to them for help," Sopchak said. Less of having to work with skeleton crews, he said. 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. Changing policy, actually is the easy part, Wright said. 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. Airmens facial hair also cannot interfere with the wear of personal protective equipment such as gas masks, the Air Force said, and airmen must be able to continue to perform their duties. The NATO allies who allow their service members to grow beards also do not have studies showing the impact of facial hair on gas masks, Ritchie said. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. (U.S. Air Force) Airmen will be allowed to wear up to. For military members, exemptions must also be documented in readiness systems (Navy/Marine Corps/Coast Guard Medical Readiness Reporting System, Army Medical Protection System, or Air Force Aeromedical Services Information Management System). The Quran, too, was used in a similar manner. 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. Norse Heathenism believing airman gets beard waiver granted, paves way According to the Department of Defense Instruction 1300. 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. According to an Air Force press . W2~@R>tA);|6[ +XnDnQi\k`LF. Air Force reverses 'adverse actions' against airmen who sought vaccine It was approved in September, which means Singh will soon head to basic training. Market-leading rankings and editorial commentary - see the top law firms & lawyers for Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations) in United States ooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. Beards are generally frowned upon because of the U.S. militarys longstanding tradition of uniformity and attention to detail as well as concerns that certain gear, like gas masks, wouldnt tightly seal with hair in the way. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. "There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry," the post read. I had opportunities to hire all kinds of folks and I was adamant about not hiring somebody with a shaving waiver, just because I fell into that category of this is Air Force policy, its not professional, he said. An airmans rank will be displayed on the turban or under-turban when worn in circumstances where military headgear is customarily worn, and removed in circumstances where military headgear is not typically worn, such as indoors or in no-hat or no-salute areas. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. One Facebook commenter questioned why the Air Force needs a separate pilot program when it could study those who already have shaving waivers. 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. Air Force issues new guidelines for beards, turbans and hijabs ~pkgEsHh,1%l|hJ Chief Bass comment demonstrates her commitment to changing the culture, and there seems to be some progress already. You will have a meeting with the Chaplain where they ask you questions to determine if you have a sincerely held belief that you shouldn't shave. I have an approved religious accommodation and have gotten pretty knowledgeable on the process. Theres a lot of things that we learn from the past and our ancestry, and its just carrying on the line, really.. Heres how. Singh said that he believes the Air Forces policy update will make it easier for Sikh Americans to serve while maintaining their articles of faith. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. The U.S. Air Force granted its first religious waivers to the military-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate this week. It interfaces with DAFPD 52-1, Chaplain Corps; Air Force Instruction (AFI) . There currently is no clear evidence showing that is the case, the study said. By He also consulted with The Asatru Community, a nonprofit group that advocates for followers of Norse pagan religions. That assessment, and ability to address and adjust, is critical to our force, and our people. For ANG The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group which works on behalf of Sikhs and other religious minorities in the military, praised the new regulation. The advocacy group submitted a religious accommodation request for Singh in April 2019. Caitlyn Smoyer). Last week the United States Air Force announced that it had updated its regulations, and will allow airmen to seek a waiver to wear turbans, hijabs or beards for religious reasons. No Sikh American should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their career ambitions, Klapper said in a statement Wednesday. As of Jan. 21, the Air Force has administratively separated 111 active duty Airmen. Copyright 2023. Meanwhile, about 76.83% of the no-waiver group was White. Staff Sgt. A 'defining feature of masculine men' soldier's Norse pagan faith Abdul Rahman Gaitan, an aerial porter with the 821st Contingency Response Support Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, was granted a religious waiver permitting him to keep a beard due to his Muslim faith, according to an Air Force article published Friday. 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. The authors called for wider research in the area in order to refute or substantiate their findings. Chaplains typically can tell if you're trying to BS them and it can affect the perceived credibility of real requests in the future. And last December, a group of sailors on the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis held the Navys first Heathen lay service. 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. The Supreme Court today upheld Indian Air Force's denial of permission to two Muslim personnel to grow beard, holding that the two orders were in compliance with Regulation 425(b) which . Singh was born in India and followed his father, an asylee, to the U.S. in 2012. In the words of the Hungarian scholar Goldziher, 'The history of religion . Any recommendations made by the board would then have to be approved by Air Force senior leadership, a service spokesperson told Coffee or Die at the time. I know Islam is iffy on if Beard are actually required but it is apart of the religion that I want to practice. Judge Prevents Air Force From Penalizing Airmen Who Refused Vaccine What happens when patients disagree with an exemption decision? During tours of less than 30 days, Air Force Reserve (AFR) and Air National Guard (ANG) chaplains not on extended active duty may request a beard waiver for religious observance when consistent with their faith. Beard News in Air Force Copyright 2022 Beard Waiver - All Rights Reserved. All are welcome. As part of the process, an airman must describe the religious basis for and include a comment on the sincerity of the request. Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. ", By The standards for growing a beard for medical reasons remain unchanged, the Air Force said. The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group that has pushed for changes to the Air Forces dress and appearance policy, commended the move. 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[T]he promotion system is not necessarily inherently racially biased, but instead biased against the presence of facial hair which will likely always affect the promotions of Blacks/African-Americans disproportionately because of the relatively higher need for shaving waivers in this population, wrote the authors of a recent Air Force study. We dont believe that theres a superior race, Sopchak said. 3.1.2.3.1. I was willfully ignorant about the impact it was having on young Black men, he said. For nearly a year, the Air Force weighed a staff sergeant's request to grow a beard as part of his religious beliefs before granting him a waiver, a decision that balanced personal liberty against military readiness, a Pentagon spokesman said. The Air Force Times reports that applications for waivers can now be made by airmen who wish to wear religious apparel or are requesting exemptions from rules prohibiting beards and long hair. Rather than delay his enlistment, Comer decided to shave his beard and apply for the accommodation at a later date. 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. Isnt the whole point of religious freedom that people CANT do that? Airmen who need to grow out their facial hair in uniform can take heart that the top enlisted airman, Chief Master Sgt. Sikhs Sue Marine Corps Over Restrictions on Beards Sorry airmen, you're not getting beards without a medical or religious waiver anytime soon, as Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles 'CQ' Brown and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force . 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 Sopchak said he was originally raised Baptist, but has not been a Christian for a long time. But if they deny a religious accommodation request, it will go up to the Air Force headquarters manpower, personnel and services directorate, Air Force reserve or the Air National Guard for a final review and decision. The Air Force currently prohibits service members from growing beards unless they are granted a religious or medical waiver, a policy that has come under scrutiny lately after military doctors studied its discriminatory effect on Black airmen. Air Force Solidifies Approval Process For Religious Beards - HuffPost Hopper,. 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.. Contact the author here. 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. If substantiated, then the benefits of the grooming standards, as defined in Air Force Instruction 36-2903, should be re-evaluated in the context of these findings, they wrote. 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. The religious accommodation process is designed to accommodate individuals who can cite specific teachings, traditions, or texts that Air Force policies contradict. 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. A member of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has received the first-ever religious-related waiver, allowing him to wear a turban and keep a beard. With the 'modern American in mind,' Air Force OKs neck and hand tattoos David Roza In 2020, the department extended shaving waivers for those diagnosed with razor bumps from one year to five years. (In heathen lore . Nearly Two Dozen Air Force Honor Guardsmen Are Sporting Beards Be aware though, that the belief must be sincere, which means you will likely be interviewed by the chaplain about your beliefs, and they will advise your CC on whether or not your beliefs are sincere, or you're just trying to get a beard. Sopchak said hes recently had some airmen, who were interested in exploring his religion, email him with questions, and hes helping other Air Force Heathens get their beards approved. Still, it seems the Honor Guard has not completely embraced shaving waivers. 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. When requests are precluded by military necessity, commanders and supervisors should seek reasonable alternatives.. Garrett Sopchak mythology, a collection of interesting stories but little more. Would beards be nice? For a long time, the old Norse mythology of Odin, Thor and Ragnark was just that for Staff Sgt. Despite being in line with regulations, airmen with waivers reported feeling stigmatized for wearing facial hair. Yes, Navy Seals can grow beards. It marks the sixth and counting religious waiver permitting a beard in service for the Air Force, according to the online military news conglomerate that broke the story. There are conflicting published reports from the civilian sector with regard to the impact of facial hair on P2/N95 [face masks] fit testing, and none that we are aware of evaluating facial hair impact on military gas mask fit. the authors wrote. Gurchetan Singh, the first Sikh American to secure a religious accommodation to serve in the Air National Guard, said Wednesday that hes grateful for the Air Forces policy change. The hot towels help stimulate the skin to bring out any oils and sweat that can be used for a lubrication layer between the skin and the razor. Air Force grants its first COVID vaccine religious waivers He received a beard waiver on July 8, 2019. | U.S. Soldier Serving In Afghanistan Receives Approval To Sport Beard Islam & The First Religious Beard in The US Military (Air Force) The first person granted a beard waiver in the U.S. Airforce due to his faith was a Muslim soldier. I was the typical senior leader chief that didnt think airmen with a shaving waiver belonged in the front office, one of the branchs most beloved former senior leaders, retired Chief Master Sgt. Many Asatruars and other heathens think it's wrong for heathens to use this exemption because heathens don't have the kind of religion in which our gods require all their followers to follow commandments in order to achieve a proper afterlife. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. Tell me youre an A1C without telling me youre an A1C. The DAF will remove adverse information from records of those currently serving service members who sought. Military Approving Beards for Pagan Worshipers. 2 0 obj
Religious Accommodation: Growing trend around the USAF Hijabs, turbans and under-turbans (also known as patkas) should be free of designs and made of a subdued material in a color that closely resembles ones uniform. While the Air Force prohibits male members from growing beards, waivers are issued to airmen who, for medical and religious reasons, are not able to shave in line with regulations. (Staff Sgt. Religious head coverings are also required to be free of designs or markings unless the individuals uniform has a camouflage pattern. Wright, who is Black, said he resolved his own shaving irritation by learning how to shave in a way that would not irritate his skin, so he assumed other airmen would be able to resolve their irritation the same way. The same was true for airmen trying to hit the rank of staff sergeant (E-5). That study, which involved 798 airmen responding to emailed surveys, called for more research and data on the subject. endobj
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. +BEeB5JiTx For some pagans, it is seen as a way of honoring the gods and goddesses. thx. Later, every religious trend sought and found the hadiths that justified its principles. Kesh, or 'uncut hair' is one of the five religious requirements of baptized Sikhs. I am grateful to hear of this policy change, because it codifies in writing what I already know: The U.S. Air Force values the service and contribution of religious minorities like me, Singh said in a statement provided by the group. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. Airmen can use styling products on their beards, but petroleum-based products are not allowed while wearing a protective mask. When requests are precluded by military necessity, commanders and supervisors should seek reasonable alternatives.. Beards can also be seen as symbols of power, strength, and virility. Turbans and under-turbans have similar color and material requirements as the hijab. Any links to regs would be appricated. A soldiers Norse pagan faith earns beard waiver At the end of the day, while we are continually out in front with initiatives that provide more opportunities for our airmen to serve to their full potential, we are cognizant that we are part of a broader military force.. Chapter IV - Four Eyes Were Reading the Passage I was running the head of my pencil-case along the line as I read it, and something caused me to raise my eyes. Shaving waivers can hold back an airman's career, and since most airmen with waivers are Black, the regulations are effectively discriminatory. 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. On My Knees I Think Clearer The comment, which was also shared on the popular Facebook page Air Force amn/nco/snco, was made in response to a selfie she posted of herself alongside Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall and Airman 1st Class Kyle Voss-McReynolds, who was the leadership teams driver during a recent event and who also wears a beard in uniform. The Reserve or Guard, before finally denying a request, will first consult with the Air Force personnel directorate and obtain a legal review from the Air Force. Staff Sgt. The waiver group also had a greater rate of disciplinary action compared to the no-waiver group (18.96% versus 11.45%). Kuzminski said it makes the Air Force and Space Force the first branches to look at a facial hair pilot program not tied to a religious or medical waiver, which would help normalize facial hair . For AFR waiver processing instructions see AFMAN 368001, - Participation and Training Procedures. Maysaa Ouza became the first Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps officer to wear hijab. The problem is how to convince the rest of the Air Force to follow suit. In 2018, Staff Sgt. The Air Force also granted its first religious accommodation beard waiver, to a Muslim airman, in 2018. Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Times as senior reporter in March 2021. Any links to regs would be appricated. This causes inflammation and a foreign body reaction, and over time, can result in scarring. William Bailey received a waiver to grow a beard March 1, according to an Air Force memo posted in July to the amn/nco/snco Facebook page. 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. The update to AFI 36-2903, Dress and personal appearance of Air Force personnel, allows airmen to request a waiver to wear religious apparel, as long as they are neat and conservative and present a professional and well-groomed appearance. The History Of Saudi Arabia [PDF] [46hijsi6afh0] - vdoc.pub Save Page Now. Army allows soldier to have beard because of his 'Norse Pagan' faith The new version of the service's dress and appearance standards policy allows tattoos up to 1 . By approaching recruiting centrally as a Total Force, Air Force Recruiting, The Air Force last week announced an expansive new ROTC scholarship available to older Cadets committed to commissioning, with the goal of recruiting and retaining more future Airmen in the program. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. <>
The airmans unit commander would then decide whether to endorse the request. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. There are many religious reasons why people might choose to grow a beard. The majority of the waiver group was Black (64.18%), despite that group making up only 12.85% of the cohort. And in June, a Sikh airman received approval to wear a beard and turban. For example, hijabs must be closely fitted to the contours of the airman's head and neck, tucked under the uniform top, and cannot cover the airman's eyebrows, eyes, cheeks, nose, mouth or chin. Seven months later, this reporter could not immediately find any such progress reports. The new religious accommodation rules also cover unshorn beards and unshorn hair such as those worn by members of the Sikh faith under-turbans or patkas, and other indoor or outdoor head coverings. In December, the Air Force commissioned its first female Muslim chaplain . Want to write for Task & Purpose? The Air Force currently prohibits service members from growing beards unless they are granted a religious or medical waiver, a policy that has come under scrutiny lately after military. At first, it appeared Sopchak was the first Heathen to get a beard waiver. The regulation follows years of individual airmen and other service members receiving waivers for religious beards and apparel. 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. This is an update to AFI 36-2903, "Dress and personal appearance of Air Force Personnel," and it will allow the headdress to be worn provided it is "neat and conservative" and that the airmen present a professional . 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.