In December, the Air Force commissioned its first female Muslim chaplain . The conventional view of facial hair is that it looks unprofessional in uniform. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. According to the Department of Defense Instruction 1300. Any links to regs would be appricated. 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. Under the new guidelines . Air Force Officially OKs Beards, Turbans, Hijabs for Religious Reasons . 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. That study, which involved 798 airmen responding to emailed surveys, called for more research and data on the subject. The idea would let participating airmen sport well-kept beards no longer than one-quarter inch, Military.com first reported Monday. 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. 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. 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. A1C Rathour is the first Sikh Airman to receive religious accommodation, and may grow his beard and wear his turban while in uniform. Hopper's exemption is the latest example of the military's effort most notably the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force to acknowledge the diverse religious practices represented in its ranks. The religious accommodation process isn't designed for individuals to play the God/conscience card to get around things they don't like. The Army granted a similar waiver last year, and beard exemptions have been granted for a growing number of Sikhs and Muslims . Click here. Central figures in Norse mythology such as Odin and Thor are commonly depicted as wearing beards. The new AFI formally allows requests for waivers, and for neat and conservative beards that present a professional appearance. 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. When requests are precluded by military necessity, commanders and supervisors should seek reasonable alternatives.. 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. Garrett Sopchak mythology, a collection of interesting stories but little more. Its kind of a big thing, culturally.. The Quran, too, was used in a similar manner. t7be,2/gQ u7|O;(?lKHfm'*g' I{C endobj Beard Religious Waivers in Air Force Norse Pagan, Sikh, Muslim and other Airmen have officially been granted religious waivers to wear beards. Press J to jump to the feed. It was more relatable.. Master Sgt. Staff Sgt. Guidelines for requesting a religious accommodation for a Heathen beard in the U.S. Air Force Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Still, Ritchie called for a study to come up with a conclusive answer. 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. Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. The new study found that airmen with shaving waivers faced significantly longer wait times for promotions and were often barred from sought-after jobs such as Honor Guard, recruiting, military training instructors, or the Thunderbirds demonstration team. The updated Air Force Instruction, released Feb. 7, also formally allows Sikh airmen to wear turbans and Muslim women to wear hijabs. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? And in June, a Sikh airman received approval to wear a beard and turban. 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. The Air Force also granted its first religious accommodation beard waiver, to a Muslim airman, in 2018. %PDF-1.5 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. Singh wanted to serve in the U.S. military to defend the country that had taken his family in, according to the Sikh Coalition. 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. 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. William Bailey, a beard waiver. Copyright 2023. Don't lie about your belief. 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. <>/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>> One Facebook commenter questioned why the Air Force needs a separate pilot program when it could study those who already have shaving waivers. Previously, these airmen needed to get their waivers updated annually. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim. 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. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced the Space National Guard Establishment Act on, From Abraham Lincoln to the Tuskegee Airmen to lessons from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Muslim, Sikh and pagan members of the Air Force have individually requested and received waivers for religious apparel and beards in recent years, but this is the first time the guidelines and the accompanying approval process are being standardized. While the Air Force prohibits male members from growing beards, waivers are issued to airmen who,. While the study did not list an exact difference in promotion times between airmen with and without waivers, it did say with mathematical certainty that shaving waivers as a whole were associated with a significantly longer time to promotion compared to the no-waiver group.. 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. Staff Sgt. Religious exemptions to the rule allow for beards up to 2 inches long. As part of the process, an airman must describe the religious basis for and include a comment on the sincerity of the request. I want to go all out with practing the religion (including reading the Quran like it is recommened during Ramadan. 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. The Air Force style authorities have spoken: neck and hand tattoos are in, beards are still out. Sounds like you might want to talk to your local chaplain team. This article has been updated to reflect the fact that another Norse Heathen airman, Staff Sgt. The Sikh Coalition said the Air Force regulation closely resembles the Army's. 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. He also consulted with The Asatru Community, a nonprofit group that advocates for followers of Norse pagan religions. 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. 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. While supporters of current Air Force policy may have anecdotal evidence of one to five people who they see fail the fit test, he said, that cant be extrapolated to hundreds of thousands of airmen.. Part of HuffPost Politics. That assessment, and ability to address and adjust, is critical to our force, and our people. 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. We speculate that these members, irrespective of race/ethnicity, may perceive this bias against shaving waivers and choose to leave the service earlier.. Caitlyn Smoyer). The military branch . DAFI 52-201 is the governing regulation for religious accommodation. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. 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. Staff Sgt. Of them, 40 Airmen voluntarily left the service and 14 officers retired, according to Undersecretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones at a House Armed Services Committee hearing Feb. 28. The Air Forces updated policy sets new grooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. . Meanwhile, about 76.83% of the no-waiver group was White. 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. In the words of the Hungarian scholar Goldziher, 'The history of religion . The Air Force separated 610 Airmen for declining the once-mandated COVID-19 vaccination. A highly visible sign of changing Air Force policy may soon be evident here at Kingsley Field, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. It gradually worked its way up through the bureaucracy before ultimately being approved July 8 by Air Force personnel chief Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly. dx xE28;eN0ORG*sMhw_2iL!o@/dUKS0sD~-dd!7r.7ucOjP0GH#_&F%)wr-' When requests are precluded by military necessity, commanders and supervisors should seek reasonable alternatives.. The study would require only 100 to 150 service members, he said. Rathour graduated Security Forces technical training on Sept. 26, 2019. 0. Airmen who need to grow out their facial hair in uniform can take heart that the top enlisted airman, Chief Master Sgt. Isnt the whole point of religious freedom that people CANT do that? (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. 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. ~pkgEsHh,1%l|hJ We dont believe that theres a superior race, Sopchak said. . 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 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. 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. Staff Sgt. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed the policy change. Would beards be nice? I have an approved religious accommodation and have gotten pretty knowledgeable on the process. 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. 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 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. 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. With regards to promotions, the wait grows longer the more time airmen have shaving waivers. 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. 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. 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But advocates argue that more sweeping changes are needed, in part because shaving waivers are often misunderstood and hurt Airmen's careers. There are many religious reasons why people might choose to grow a beard. What happens when patients disagree with an exemption decision? The religious accommodation process is designed to accommodate individuals who can cite specific teachings, traditions, or texts that Air Force policies contradict. The Air Force has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years. 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. The Air Force has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years. Contact the author here. 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 . 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. It is is up to the wing commander (or the unit's equivalent of such a commander) to make the final decision. For AFR waiver processing instructions see AFMAN 368001, - Participation and Training Procedures. other similar condition s that prohibits regular facial shaving may requ est a waiver to wear a beard . 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. William Bailey, received a waiver to grow a beard in March. 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. Here are some active soldiers who have been allowed to keep their facial hair. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? He hopes to become a Gothi essentially an ordained priest and perhaps become an official Air Force chaplain. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. Air Force Special Operations Command has made history by granting a religious accommodation waiver to a Sikh service member.
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