Asking questions is fine, but how is that even legal? It took Sopchak about 11 months to get his beard approved. The DAF will remove adverse information from records of those currently serving service members who sought. Accommodation of Religious Practices in the Air Force. 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. 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. Contact the author here. 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. 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. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. 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 religious beard exemption in the US army was created for the benefit of Sikhs. I have an approved religious accommodation and have gotten pretty knowledgeable on the process. It gradually worked its way up through the bureaucracy before ultimately being approved July 8 by Air Force personnel chief Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly. Despite being in line with regulations, airmen with waivers reported feeling stigmatized for wearing facial hair. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. It is unclear how many Norse pagans, Heathen, or Asatru followers are in the military, but they have become increasingly visible in recent years. This is a volunteers proposal.. Sopchak said that something about the Heathen religion felt more real to him. 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. 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. David Roza 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. Editors note: This story has been updated with new comments from Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass. "Sikhs are allowed to wear beards and turbans because it actually is a religious requirement of their faith that they do so. But so far, the call for beards seems to fall on deaf ears. 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. USAF photo by Alexander Goad. 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. 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. Beard News in Air Force Copyright 2022 Beard Waiver - All Rights Reserved. Get the latest military news, entertainment, and gear in your inbox daily. There's no more reliable source for news about your Air Force. ;NNB6 j~X3E]4]euu((m#/S>c9K71,E304a;97la@Ejrf-o eP9_$)'"?#EO!orCi=5P@C5TmJY;^qzU/nWXvvRH~]/C >K)a2MuOzZ.VsDNOr%rZR[TINcCPBi!U;$TXA9%9;?&>k37{X]sa`p3Wc1^CKtjBrx\5uI3 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. 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. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? Start with the chaplain, and work with them to route the request through your chain. The same neat and conservative approach applies to beards, which must not exceed two inches when measured from the bottom of the chin, the regulations states. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim. Published Feb 12, 2020 2:11 PM EST. Eugene Oliver/U.S. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. 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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. Rathour graduated Security Forces technical training on Sept. 26, 2019. I will also add, the whole reason I want a beard is to help me with my faith during Ramadan. 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. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. 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. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. According to an Air Force press . 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. A chaplain must then interview the requesting airman and submit a recommendation to the wing chaplain (or the unit's equivalent of a wing chaplain). The religious accommodation process isn't designed for individuals to play the God/conscience card to get around things they don't like. Staff Sgt. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed the policy change. Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today. Air Force). The majority of the waiver group was Black (64.18%), despite that group making up only 12.85% of the cohort. <> The Air Force has updated its grooming standards to formally allow Airmen to grow neatly trimmed beards, standardizing the religious or medical exemption process. If the idea moves forward, participating airmen and guardians would become the subject of a research project whose data could convince high-level Pentagon officials to allow more flexibility on facial hair. 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. Sample accommodation request memos included with the regulation said that the Air Force can order an airman to immediately shave or remove their turban or hijab if they need to be ready to wear a gas mask during an emergency. Though. It is is up to the wing commander (or the unit's equivalent of such a commander) to make the final decision. Still, she called the policy clarification a great step forward.. That assessment, and ability to address and adjust, is critical to our force, and our people. The new version of the service's dress and appearance standards policy allows tattoos up to 1 . Market-leading rankings and editorial commentary - see the top law firms & lawyers for Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations) in United States Save Page Now. 3 0 obj 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. Central figures in Norse mythology such as Odin and Thor are commonly depicted as wearing beards. They also make offerings anything from food to drinks to physical objects to their gods during a ceremony called a blot, he said. The Sikh Coalition said the Air Force regulation closely resembles the Army's. And. 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. Kesh, or 'uncut hair' is one of the five religious requirements of baptized Sikhs. The religious accommodation process is designed to accommodate individuals who can cite specific teachings, traditions, or texts that Air Force policies contradict. 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. 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. Abdul Rahman Gaitan, 821st Contingency Response Squadron aerial porter, was among the first to be granted a religious accommodation for a shaving waiver based . | A religious accommodation request must include information including the airmans job, what the airman is asking for and the religious reason for the request, and a comment on the sincerity of the request. That study, which involved 798 airmen responding to emailed surveys, called for more research and data on the subject. 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 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. If youre willing to learn, we are willing to teach.. Maysaa Ouza became the first Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps officer to wear hijab. Based on the successful examples of Soldiers currently serving with these accommodations, I have determined There is no potential timeline for approval, because it isnt even at that stage, she said. 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. is at the same time the history o f the interpretation of the Scriptures.'18 The Sunna embodied an ossified tradition. 8[/6&ip1~E5\h|#_W7AO2#+S_*wQ2I1jg!zx 6FTUqepk9v i*z]D@s;3c~52YJSR04P_dZgLA-Xh YWX,&"qp6bY ?HD]SL%d9n4%;uwR"d"4X stream 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.. 2 0 obj Staff Sgt. The Army last year granted its first beard authorization to a Norse pagan soldier. The Air Forces updated policy sets new grooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a religious accommodation beard waiver. He hopes to become a Gothi essentially an ordained priest and perhaps become an official Air Force chaplain. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass, wants to reduce the branchs cultural bias against shaving waivers granted for medical or religious reasons. 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. 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. 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.. The Army granted a similar waiver last year, and beard exemptions have been granted for a growing number of Sikhs and Muslims . 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. Published Dec 21, 2022 5:12 PM EST. 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. Beards should have been approved years ago, Facebook commenter Heather Britten wrote. Beards could be two months away in the Air Force. The study would require only 100 to 150 service members, he said. I know Islam is iffy on if Beard are actually required but it is apart of the religion that I want to practice. A U.S. soldier who is serving in Afghanistan has received a uniform religious exception to sport a beard based upon his Norse pagan beliefs. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. In 2020, the department extended shaving waivers for those diagnosed with razor bumps from one year to five years. dx xE28;eN0ORG*sMhw_2iL!o@/dUKS0sD~-dd!7r.7ucOjP0GH#_&F%)wr-' 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. 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. 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. 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. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. In addition to believing in the old Norse gods, he said, Heathens believe that they are descended from them. The Air Force plans to update its Air Force Instruction regulations governing dress and personal appearance and medical care management to reflect this change. Don't lie about your belief. Theyre more like family members than they are divine beings, Sopchak said. The group is one of the Air Forces volunteer teams that considers ways to make policies more equitable for all airmen. Now, updated Air Force regulations make clearer and smoother the path for personnel to request and obtain a similar religious waiver. For those wondering, the regulation says that a mustache worn with a beard may extend sideways beyond the corners of the mouth to connect with the beard, but must be trimmed or groomed to not cover the upper lip.. 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. Click here. Previously, these airmen needed to get their waivers updated annually. 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 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. Based on the Air Force regulation, a disapproval should be based on real (not theoretical) compelling government interest (i.e. Garrett Sopchak, a 28-year-old aerospace . Hopper,. The Air Force has updated its grooming standards to formally allow Airmen to grow neatly trimmed beards, standardizing the religious or medical exemption process. In the words of the Hungarian scholar Goldziher, 'The history of religion . And in February, the Air Force officially updated its regulations to formally allow airmen to request religious beard waivers. The updated Air Force Instruction, released Feb. 7, also formally allows Sikh airmen to wear turbans and Muslim women to wear hijabs. US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jackson Manske. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. 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. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. Some pagans might choose to grow a beard in order to express their religious identity or beliefs. William Bailey, received a waiver to grow a beard in March. other similar condition s that prohibits regular facial shaving may requ est a waiver to wear a beard . There are many religious reasons why people might choose to grow a beard. If they didnt have one, in some of the stories, they were actually ridiculed. By He also hopes to grow the Heathen community in the area around Hill. But his community now meets in parks or homes to commemorate holidays such as Yule and the solstices. 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. . *!+zu[XAoC_:X/0{ v8iAU}JqQ.u`6fE_GJTBh$Wx)Vpw#7~rDeI0r\!H(NW|/bcPRHBe0tEyXYD q{ 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. Paragraph 1.5.2.3 added: Members requesting a medical waiver to wear a beard must submit a letter Copyright 2023. 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. And in June, a Sikh airman received approval to wear a beard and turban. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? 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. Friday's regulation formalizes such waivers into a multi-step review process. Its unclear how many people currently use shaving waivers. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. As part of the process, an airman must describe the religious basis for and include a comment on the sincerity of the request. Paragraph 1.5.2 changed to read: Submitting Requests for Religious, Gender , or Medical Waivers. 4 0 obj 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. DAFI 52-201 is the governing regulation for religious accommodation. 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. Sopchak, a 28-year-old aerospace ground equipment craftsman at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, on July 8 received approval to get approval to wear a beard in accordance with his Heathen faith. The Hammer of Thor is available to be placed on government headstones and markers in the United States. And in June, a Sikh airman received approval to wear a beard and turban. We dont have to hire RAND or Booz Allen Hamilton to do it, but the Air Force needs to want it to happen, he said at the time. Isnt the whole point of Religious Freedom that people CANT question your religious beliefs?? 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 . (Garrett Sopchak) For nearly a year, the Air Force weighed a staff sergeant's request to grow a beard as part of his religious beliefs before. One Facebook commenter questioned why the Air Force needs a separate pilot program when it could study those who already have shaving waivers. Would beards be nice? It also specifically looked at the time it took airmen with shaving waivers to get promoted relative to airmen without waivers, and whether that association led to racial bias. This condition can appear in a person of any ethnicity but is predominantly seen in Blacks/African Americans, study authors wrote. 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 . The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group which works on behalf of Sikhs and other religious minorities in the military, praised the new regulation. Under the new guidelines . According to a statement from the Air Force, Senior Airman Dominic Varriale was granted the turban waiver in 2020. 1 0 obj He received a beard waiver on July 8, 2019. In an email to Task & Purpose, Bass said the Air Force is continually reevaluating its policies. &w\=xi~Wh^iz`b=)!]T;iMC.OXm(+N*uHe{5"@"o$n*uQI'JHyLij%O&Q3 .\nOemNKW2j2ttYK9sll?hyA/fQ/lF\ pVyH0qd~T#o[Bpi*In=mS hU f[6rx~ 8;GO yNb4.A`t`Wj The advocacy group submitted a religious accommodation request for Singh in April 2019. 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. Shaving waivers can hold back an airman's career, and since most airmen with waivers are Black, the regulations are effectively discriminatory. 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 hijab, or head scarf, can be made of a subdued material in a color that resembles the airmans assigned uniform, such as black, brown, green, tan or navy blue, the regulation said. Also in 2019, Airman 1st Class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa became the first Sikh airman to receive an accommodation for a turban, beard and unshorn hair, and two Norse Heathen airmen were also allowed to grow beards. Religious beards in the military were allowed in 2017. (U.S. Air Force) Airmen will be allowed to wear up to. The Air Force also granted its first religious accommodation beard waiver, to a Muslim airman, in 2018. Its an unsubstantiated claim, dermatologist Lt. Col. Simon Ritchie told Task & Purpose in May. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? 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. In 2018, Staff Sgt. endobj First Air Force JAG officer to wear hijab featured in short NBC documentary, Women in the military: Moving beyond firsts, Veterans Affairs drops mask requirement for all agency medical offices, Officials OK some hand and neck tattoos for airmen, Guardians, Perennial pilot shortage puts Air Force in precarious position, Healthy eating on a budget for busy military spouses, Tax scams How to report them Money Minute, Capitol Hill weighs action on two controversial topics: medical marijuana and abortion, Lockheed wins hypersonics contract | Defense Dollars, Go inside a secret nuclear fallout bunker sealed for decades, Another Air Force fleet grounded over fears plane tails may fall off, Pentagon orders engine vibration fix for entire F-35 fleet worldwide, Minot firings due to failed nuclear safety inspection, Air Force advisers study use of satellites for tracking moving targets. 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. In a Tuesday update of the Department of the Air Force's COVID-19 response, the service announced it had approved nine religious accommodations, including eight through service members' major and field commands and one through a Department of the Air Force appeal. Chief Bass comment demonstrates her commitment to changing the culture, and there seems to be some progress already. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. ooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. thx. According to the regulation, turbans, hijabs, under-turbans or other headwear must be plain, dark blue, black, and free of designs or markings except when matching with the airman's camouflage uniform. Wright said he was opposed to facial hair in the Air Force for 29 of his 32 years in service. 0. For AFR waiver processing instructions see AFMAN 36-8001, Participation and Training Procedures. And last December, a group of sailors on the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis held the Navys first Heathen lay service. But advocates argue that more sweeping changes are needed, in part because shaving waivers are often misunderstood and hurt Airmen's careers. For AFR waiver processing instructions see AFMAN 368001, - Participation and Training Procedures. The Brig. Abdul Rahman Gaitain, an airman with the 821st. 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. A staff judge advocate must also review the request package. 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. Thanks for attaching this, it seems like a simple enough process to get the accommodation. 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. 19 July 2019. Sens. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. This means that even though the study measured only about 4% of all male airmen, the findings would likely be similar if extended to the entire branch. Wing commanders or other leaders at major commands, numbered air forces or other organizations will then approve or deny such a request. A highly visible sign of changing Air Force policy may soon be evident here at Kingsley Field, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. It must also include a photo or description of the head covering, religious-affiliated item, grooming standard or personal appearance that is being requested. . Singh wanted to serve in the U.S. military to defend the country that had taken his family in, according to the Sikh Coalition. The Air Force has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years.