stream 173rd Fighter Wing Airmen may begin taking advantage of new uniform regulations allowing religious exemptions such as beards, hijabs, and turbans while in uniform. The Air Force has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years. 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. Contact the author here. There are many religious reasons why people might choose to grow a beard. 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 The Hammer of Thor is available to be placed on government headstones and markers in the United States. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. I have an approved religious accommodation and have gotten pretty knowledgeable on the process. thx. In 2018, Staff Sgt. 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 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. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Less of having to work with skeleton crews, he said. U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Isaac John, 423d Security Forces Squadron flight member, holds his position during a field training exercise at Stanford Training Area, England, Aug. 17, 2022. Others mused that more people would enlist if beards were allowed. 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.. Its unclear how many people currently use shaving waivers. Singh wanted to serve in the U.S. military to defend the country that had taken his family in, according to the Sikh Coalition. William Bailey, received a waiver to grow a beard in March. The Air Force has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years. The Air Force style authorities have spoken: neck and hand tattoos are in, beards are still out. Based on the Air Force regulation, a disapproval should be based on real (not theoretical) compelling government interest (i.e. And. endobj Action on Requests for Religious Accommodation that Require the Waiver of Department of the Air Force Regulations or Policies or Directives . According to the Department of Defense Instruction 1300. 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. Under certain conditions, commanding officers can order the removal of turbans or hijabs to keep service members safe, the regulations state for example, while someone is walking within 25 feet of an operating aircraft. The Air Force has cited razor bumps in the past when making changes to its grooming policy. 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. According to the memo, which was first posted on the unofficial Facebook page Air Force amn/nco/snco July 12, Sopchak can wear a neat, conservative beard that presents a professional, well-groomed military appearance and stays no more than two inches from the bottom of his chin. The new version of the service's dress and appearance standards policy allows tattoos up to 1 . 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. It is a sincerely held belief, but I have not been a Muslim for long, only a couple weeks. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? Under the new process, a commander has up to 30 days to approve an Airmans request for a waiver, and that the accommodation will generally follow the Airman through his or her career. Correction: This story was updated at 6:53 p.m. to reflect correct information about religious waivers for beards. 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. Ou5g(O5b5md8_ -+'.$Dvqx)YDTwXD`m_~G ArVT+`oo I can answer the questions, so it is not really a problem but how is that even legal? Commonly referred to as razor bumps, PFB is a skin condition that makes shaving painful and can lead to permanent scarring if the skin is not allowed to heal, which makes it a common reason for receiving a shaving waiver. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. >_fn7dw)>S#a\7]zdWwgsZMA2!2/af>]]I+ .$sMOr])0`F\>-vxX|K h%&ZG2xI%#}pxg@;%rE*q"TY(kfIeWgh&*$|- F'$_L2;&"bw.%i^XxzS\'Z+gQI,=b6)J|Se{Sl)xog`7^}T# N7 x+|B7 Airmen in need of a waiver could try laser hair removal or chemical treatment, but many airmen are reluctant to undertake them because it could permanently alter their ability to grow facial hair, the study authors wrote. (U.S. Air Force) Airmen will be allowed to wear up to. The female hair changes were not a want, it was very much a need based on health first when I talk with our men in uniform: Is this a need or is this a want?. Asking questions is fine, but how is that even legal? 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. 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, he said. 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). That assessment, and ability to address and adjust, is critical to our force, and our people. Because its a faith that hasnt been practiced in about 1,000 years, he said, theres no set way to practice it. Something about what he found resonated, and Sopchak became a Norse Heathen. 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. 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. Contact the author here. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. 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. Personnel Division," to all sign off . Air Force). 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. Editors note: This story has been updated with new comments from Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass. Seven months later, this reporter could not immediately find any such progress reports. ~pkgEsHh,1%l|hJ Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. 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.. However, most airmen who have waivers are Black, because they are more likely to be affected by pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) than White airmen. x\[o~d/Sp|A|=hdDPwfvIQuDgg?ydtx.b`1K55'V#wLDP,(Wj 19 July 2019. The religious beard exemption in the US army was created for the benefit of Sikhs. Capt. It was only after becoming the top enlisted airman that Wright met fellow airmen for whom being clean-shaven was impossible without immense pain and skin damage. During tours of less than 30 days, A ir 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. 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. 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. Her work has appeared in Air Force Magazine, Inside Defense, Inside Health Policy, the Frederick News-Post (Md. The standards for growing a beard for medical reasons remain unchanged, the Air Force said. It took Sopchak about 11 months to get his beard approved. 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. 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. 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. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The updated Air Force Instruction, released Feb. 7, also formally allows Sikh airmen to wear turbans and Muslim women to wear hijabs. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. If youre willing to learn, we are willing to teach.. The Air Force, citing privacy concerns, declined to identify how many airmen have obtained waivers based on religious exemptions but said the publicity surrounding approvals in recent years has . This is the first time the command has done so. The study authors found that the long wait for promotions applied to airmen of all races who had waivers. I know Islam is iffy on if Beard are actually required but it is apart of the religion that I want to practice. 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. +BEeB5JiTx David Roza 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. 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. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? 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. <>>> A California-based airman has become the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver after a 2014 policy. We speculate that these members, irrespective of race/ethnicity, may perceive this bias against shaving waivers and choose to leave the service earlier.. Under the new guidelines . Guidelines for requesting a religious accommodation for a Heathen beard in the U.S. Air Force | 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. 2 0 obj The Air Force plans to update its Air Force Instruction regulations governing dress and personal appearance and medical care management to reflect this change.