For some pagans, it is seen as a way of honoring the gods and goddesses. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. 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.. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. Tell me youre an A1C without telling me youre an A1C. 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. Published Jul 14, 2021 8:57 AM EDT. 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. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. The updated regulations mandate that faith-based religious apparel requests can only be denied for a compelling government interest and the denial must be the least restrictive way the Air Force has of achieving that government interest. 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. Changing policy, actually is the easy part, Wright said. All told, Brown added two books, two podcasts, and a documentary, The Air Force now has a single website to manage all its recruiting needs, covering Active Duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve recruiting. 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. dx xE28;eN0ORG*sMhw_2iL!o@/dUKS0sD~-dd!7r.7ucOjP0GH#_&F%)wr-' endobj Staff Sgt. 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. The Air Force also granted its first religious accommodation beard waiver, to a Muslim airman, in 2018. Thanks for attaching this, it seems like a simple enough process to get the accommodation. ooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. (In heathen lore . 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. t7be,2/gQ u7|O;(?lKHfm'*g' I{C For example, it took airmen with eight or more years with a waiver about a year longer on average to get promoted to the rank of technical sergeant (E-6) compared to airmen who had a waiver for just a year or two. 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 It is is up to the wing commander (or the unit's equivalent of such a commander) to make the final decision. 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. David Roza 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. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. In 2018, the Air Force granted its first "religious accommodation beard waiver" to a Muslim airman, allowing him to wear a beard while in uniform. *!+zu[XAoC_:X/0{ v8iAU}JqQ.u`6fE_GJTBh$Wx)Vpw#7~rDeI0r\!H(NW|/bcPRHBe0tEyXYD q{ Last August, he went to his units chaplain an evangelical Christian who Sopchak said was very supportive and curious about his Heathen religion who helped him put together the paperwork for his religious accommodation request. Want to write for Task & Purpose? Sopchak said he was originally raised Baptist, but has not been a Christian for a long time. 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. 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 . 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. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. But advocates argue that more sweeping changes are needed, in part because shaving waivers are often misunderstood and hurt Airmen's careers. 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. ", By There currently is no clear evidence showing that is the case, the study said. When requests are precluded by military necessity, commanders and supervisors should seek reasonable alternatives.. . The push to create a new Space National Guard got a major boost last week as a bipartisan team of Senators offered new legislationeven as the Pentagon works to craft details on a competing plan. 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. 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. 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. A California-based airman has become the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver after a 2014 policy. Still, it seems the Honor Guard has not completely embraced shaving waivers. The group is one of the Air Forces volunteer teams that considers ways to make policies more equitable for all airmen. Religious head coverings are also required to be free of designs or markings unless the individuals uniform has a camouflage pattern. Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today. And at least two airmen who follow the Norse Heathen, or pagan, faiths have been granted permission to wear a beard. 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. 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. At first, it appeared Sopchak was the first Heathen to get a beard waiver. 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 DAF will remove adverse information from records of those currently serving service members who sought. The AFI allows the Air Force to deny a request for a waiver only if it furthers a compelling government interest., Groups such as the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Sikh Coalition, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced their support for the decision, with CAIR saying Feb. 12 it is a step toward religious accommodation and inclusion for military personnel of all faiths., No Sikh American should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their career ambitions, Giselle Klapper, a Sikh Coalition staff attorney, said in a release. This is the first time the command has done so. Beard News in Air Force Copyright 2022 Beard Waiver - All Rights Reserved. Start with the chaplain, and work with them to route the request through your chain. 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.. 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. 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. The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group which works on behalf of Sikhs and other religious minorities in the military, praised the new regulation. The new version of the service's dress and appearance standards policy allows tattoos up to 1 . In 2020, the department extended shaving waivers for those diagnosed with razor bumps from one year to five years. He also consulted with The Asatru Community, a nonprofit group that advocates for followers of Norse pagan religions. 173rd Fighter Wing Airmen may begin taking advantage of new uniform regulations allowing religious exemptions such as beards, hijabs, and turbans while in uniform. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass, wants to reduce the branchs cultural bias against shaving waivers granted for medical or religious reasons. 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. The U. S. Air Force has published new guidance for religious accommodations that allow airmen to wear beards, turbans and hijabs. The research studied the effect of shaving waivers on the careers of active duty male airmen. They also make offerings anything from food to drinks to physical objects to their gods during a ceremony called a blot, he said. ~pkgEsHh,1%l|hJ ak cGeoI0_enzM8_#.Skvv1Nx72!oaBV >q@yN;NG.s;9>/B32:*I=u/x|=3;.m1.DWc(P(mZ XZ Still, Ritchie called for a study to come up with a conclusive answer. 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.. Abdul Rahman Gaitain, an airman with the 821st. Accommodation of Religious Practices in the Air Force. 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 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. endobj Wing commanders or other leaders at major commands, numbered air forces or other organizations will then approve or deny such a request.