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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. 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. Shaving waivers can hold back an airman's career, and since most airmen with waivers are Black, the regulations are effectively discriminatory. Paragraph 1.5.2 changed to read: Submitting Requests for Religious, Gender , or Medical Waivers. In December, the Air Force commissioned its first female Muslim chaplain . 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Some of it was because I just ignored it, some of it was because I wanted these young men to do what I did: just suck it up and figure it out and youll be fine.. 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. The Air Force style authorities have spoken: neck and hand tattoos are in, beards are still out. Meanwhile, about 76.83% of the no-waiver group was White. The DAF will remove adverse information from records of those currently serving service members who sought. Editors note: This story has been updated with new comments from Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass. Still, she called the policy clarification a great step forward.. Kesh, or 'uncut hair' is one of the five religious requirements of baptized Sikhs. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. | ooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. 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. 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. In 2018, Staff Sgt. Beard News in Air Force Copyright 2022 Beard Waiver - All Rights Reserved. Air Force Officially OKs Beards, Turbans, Hijabs for Religious Reasons . Those calls accelerated earlier this year, when the Air Force changed its regulations to allow for women to wear braids, ponytails and bangs in order to prevent irreversible hair loss and migraines stemming from the old hair regulations. I want to go all out with practing the religion (including reading the Quran like it is recommened during Ramadan. Get your daily fix of Air Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. By This new study shows that changing beard regulations may actually be a need, rather than a want, because the current policy essentially discriminates against Black airmen. The U.S. Air Force granted its first religious waivers to the military-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate this week. Press J to jump to the feed. 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.. 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. 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. It was approved in September, which means Singh will soon head to basic training. Because its a faith that hasnt been practiced in about 1,000 years, he said, theres no set way to practice it. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. of the Air Force Kaleth Wright, said in April on a panel discussion on male grooming standards in the Air Force. Want to write for Task & Purpose? 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. The religious accommodation process isn't designed for individuals to play the God/conscience card to get around things they don't like. Here are some active soldiers who have been allowed to keep their facial hair. Turbans and under-turbans have similar color and material requirements as the hijab. And in February, the Air Force officially updated its regulations to formally allow airmen to request religious beard waivers. Published Jul 14, 2021 8:57 AM EDT. Sure, but how about competitive pay and benefits? Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Times as senior reporter in March 2021. t7be,2/gQ u7|O;(?lKHfm'*g' I{C So I am not some expert I just watch YouTube videos of the teachings of Islam. Beards could be two months away in the Air Force. 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. The conventional view of facial hair is that it looks unprofessional in uniform. Paragraph 1.5.2.3 added: Members requesting a medical waiver to wear a beard must submit a letter And in June, a Sikh airman received approval to wear a beard and turban. Air & Space Forces Magazine is the official publication of the Air & Space Forces Association, 1501 Langston Boulevard, Arlington, Va., 22209-1198. Staff Sgt. Would beards be nice? The majority of the waiver group was Black (64.18%), despite that group making up only 12.85% of the cohort. 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 . Published Dec 21, 2022 5:12 PM EST. 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. We dont believe that theres a superior race, Sopchak said. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass, wants to reduce the branchs cultural bias against shaving waivers granted for medical or religious reasons. The Army granted a similar waiver last year, and beard exemptions have been granted for a growing number of Sikhs and Muslims though not atheists. Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel, Airman 1st Class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? Abdul Rahman Gaitan, 821st Contingency Response Squadron aerial porter, was among the first to be granted a religious accommodation for a shaving waiver based . David Roza When requests are precluded by military necessity, commanders and supervisors should seek reasonable alternatives.. The updated regulation said beards must be no longer than two inches when measured from the bottom of the chin, and must be rolled and/or tied when longer than two inches. Requests should normally be recommended for approval unless approval would have an adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, standards, or discipline, the Air Force wrote. This article has been updated to reflect the fact that another Norse Heathen airman, Staff Sgt. 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. 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. 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. Rather than delay his enlistment, Comer decided to shave his beard and apply for the accommodation at a later date. The airmans unit commander would then decide whether to endorse the request. 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. But on July 18, the amn/nco/snco page posted a March 1 memo granting another Heathen airman, Staff Sgt. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I have an approved religious accommodation and have gotten pretty knowledgeable on the process. Its unclear how many people currently use shaving waivers. Staff Sgt. Given the racial distribution of waivers, this may have an unintended discriminatory effect by limiting the opportunities that these members are offered, the study authors wrote. He hopes to become a Gothi essentially an ordained priest and perhaps become an official Air Force chaplain. The advocacy group submitted a religious accommodation request for Singh in April 2019. 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. The Brig. stream The new findings build off a preliminary study published in December which said that shaving waivers had negatively affected the careers of many airmen, especially those of color. The interviewing chaplain will then send the wing chaplain a memo on whether the airman has a sincerely-held belief, whether the accommodation is related to that belief, and how the Air Force policy places a burden on that belief. The idea would let participating airmen sport well-kept beards no longer than one-quarter inch, Military.com first reported Monday. Those interested in pursuing a shaving waiver at Al Dhafra can attend shaving waiver clinic walk-in hours on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., or schedule an appointment at the 380th EMDG clinic during walk-in hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 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 . As of Jan. 21, the Air Force has administratively separated 111 active duty Airmen. A sample memo also said that an airman wearing a turban could be ordered to remove it if he goes within 25 feet of an operating aircraft. We are working to take away the stigma attached to airmen who have a medical need or a religious accommodation for facial hair. . 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. *!+zu[XAoC_:X/0{ v8iAU}JqQ.u`6fE_GJTBh$Wx)Vpw#7~rDeI0r\!H(NW|/bcPRHBe0tEyXYD q{ The Air Forces updated dress and personal appearance policy clarifies the grooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. 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. Start with the chaplain, and work with them to route the request through your chain. The move came as a result of the Army authorizing beards for religious soldiers in January 2017 as part of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a move specifically enacted for Sikh soldiers. 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. There could be more studies of this topic to come. Airmen can use styling products on their beards, but petroleum-based products are not allowed while wearing a protective mask. The same was true for airmen trying to hit the rank of staff sergeant (E-5). I can assure you that we are focused on our Airmen; they are the most competitive advantage we haveand we must get the people piece right.. When requests are precluded by military necessity, commanders and supervisors should seek reasonable alternatives.. For a long time, the old Norse mythology of Odin, Thor and Ragnark was just that for Staff Sgt. In 2020, the department extended shaving waivers for those diagnosed with razor bumps from one year to five years. We speculate that these members, irrespective of race/ethnicity, may perceive this bias against shaving waivers and choose to leave the service earlier.. 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Its kind of a big thing, culturally.. 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. The Coalition said both changes were influenced by a years-long advocacy and litigation campaign by the Coalition and its pro bono co-counsel at McDermott Will & Emery. As described in sample memos included in the regulation, safety concerns might include wearing a gas mask or going within 25 feet of an operating aircraft. 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. 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. 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. safety) or when precluded by a compelling (i.e., especially important) governmental and/or Air Force interest. 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. 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. Still, Ritchie called for a study to come up with a conclusive answer. 0. Anecdotal evidence and a July 2021 study in the journal Military Medicine indicate that airmen with shaving waivers are more often passed over for promotions and other professional opportunities because of their appearance. In December, The Air Force released a sweeping review which found that Black service members are disproportionately punished and promoted more slowly when compared to their White peers. The waiver group also had a greater rate of disciplinary action compared to the no-waiver group (18.96% versus 11.45%). HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. The updated Air Force Instruction, released Feb. 7, also formally allows Sikh airmen to wear turbans and Muslim women to wear hijabs. The Army last year granted its first beard authorization to a Norse pagan soldier. Capt. I can answer the questions, so it is not really a problem but how is that even legal? In the stories, you could see even the gods themselves have flaws, Sopchak said. Black men disproportionately suffer from the ingrown hairs that cause painful razor bumps, either precluding them from shaving more regularly or forcing them to suffer and, in some cases, endure scarring. The new version of the service's dress and appearance standards policy allows tattoos up to 1 . Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a religious accommodation beard waiver. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. 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. It is a sincerely held belief, but I have not been a Muslim for long, only a couple weeks. Air Force Special Operations Command has made history by granting a religious accommodation waiver to a Sikh service member. The demographics of the respondents closely match those of the Air Force in general, the study authors wrote. According to the updated regulation, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel, the Air Force allows all such apparel and beards as long as the airmen wearing them make it through a religious accommodation waiver process, that they appear neat and conservative, and that the apparel and beards don't interfere with personal safety. Chance Saltzman outlined the three lines in a series of commanders notes published Jan., Thousands of Airmen and Guardians who remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 no longer have to get the shotsand those whofaced disciplinary action for failing to get vaccinated will have their records wiped clean. 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. Central figures in Norse mythology such as Odin and Thor are commonly depicted as wearing beards. 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 Another example of neat and conservative is color. 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. addresses the Air Force grooming standard for beards: "[b]eards are not authorizedunless for medical reasons, when authorized by a commander on the advice of a medical official." An Airmen who requests an accommodation waiver to grow a beard for religious reasons must follow 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). W2~@R>tA);|6[ +XnDnQi\k`LF. At first, it appeared Sopchak was the first Heathen to get a beard waiver. 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. 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. Since then, 21 Honor Guard airmen now have a pass to grow neatly-trimmed beards, according to Military.com. "There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry," the post read. <>>> 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. When asked about specific efforts for removing the stigma regarding waivers, an Air Force spokesperson told Task & Purpose that the Air Force changed AFI 36-2903, its regulation governing dress and appearance standards., earlier this spring to allow airmen with a shaving profile to trim and shape their facial hair, and to allow airmen with profiles to apply for more positions in the service. The group is one of the Air Forces volunteer teams that considers ways to make policies more equitable for all airmen. Requests should normally be recommended for approval unless approval would have an adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, standards or discipline, the regulation said. The problem is how to convince the rest of the Air Force to follow suit. In the event of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive threat, commanding officers could also ask someone wearing a hijab to remove it to ensure a proper gas mask fit. It interfaces with DAFPD 52-1, Chaplain Corps; Air Force Instruction (AFI) . Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade use hot towels to warm their faces during a shaving clinic May 22 at the brigade's organizational classroom. The Air Force has updated its grooming standards to formally allow Airmen to grow neatly trimmed beards, standardizing the religious or medical exemption process. Sounds like you might want to talk to your local chaplain team. He also consulted with The Asatru Community, a nonprofit group that advocates for followers of Norse pagan religions. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Click here. Airman becomes the first Muslim to be granted service's beard waiver for observing religion By Jon Simkins Nov 20, 2018 Air Force Staff Sgt. Powered by GoDaddy This website uses cookies. Airmen in the guard with waivers can wear beards in Air Force ceremonies and duties, but not as part of a joint service honor guard with another branch, Military.com reported. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? Beards cant exceed two inches if they do, they must be rolled and/or tied to achieve the required length, the regulations state. 2 0 obj 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. A1C Rathour is the first Sikh Airman to receive religious accommodation, and may grow his beard and wear his turban while in uniform. Currently serving Airmen and Guardians who sought exemptions from the Pentagon's COVID-19 vaccine mandate will see those actions reversed and records erased, a new memo from Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall states. In a June 18 memo, Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Dorothy Hogg authorized the longer shaving waivers for airmen with pseudofolliculitis barbae, or razor bumps, effective immediately. ), the Washington Post, and others. There is no potential timeline for approval, because it isnt even at that stage, she said. Personnel Division," to all sign off . For ANG Friday's regulation formalizes such waivers into a multi-step review process. In 2017, the U.S. Army officially updated its dress and appearance standards to accommodate hijabs, turbans and beards. Abdul Rahman Gaitain, an airman with the 821st. With regards to promotions, the wait grows longer the more time airmen have shaving waivers. Maysaa Ouza became the first Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps officer to wear hijab. 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. The updated Air Force Instruction, released Feb. 7, also formally allows Sikh airmen to wear turbans and Muslim women to wear hijabs. 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. 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.. 1 comment. Garrett Sopchak, a 28-year-old aerospace . Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 1 0 obj Imagine the man-hours saved when men dont have to go to the doctor to get approved for a shaving waiver, and then periodically renewed., Daniel Walker, another Facebook user, added: They keep relaxing grooming standards instead of giving us things that would actually increase our quality of life.. <>/ExtGState<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/Annots[ 13 0 R 16 0 R] /MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> The Air Force Surgeon General has approved five-year waivers allowing male airmen with a medical condition causing painful ingrown hairs to grow beards, the service said Tuesday. And in June, a Sikh airman received approval to wear a beard and turban. Comer wore a beard with a religious accommodation waiver, but beards in the Air Force may become far more common after a uniform board considers facial hair in November. <> 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.