Pentagon to relax rules on personal religious wear — including beards, turbans

[Snaquebite]

The Pentagon on Wednesday is expected to announce widespread changes to rules governing religious items and religion-based physical attributes that service members can maintain while in uniform — including beards, some religious tattoos, and turbans.

NBC News obtained an early draft of the new Department of Defense instruction which states that the military will make every effort to accommodate “individual expressions of sincerely held beliefs” (conscience, moral principles, or religious beliefs) of service members.

It goes on to say that unless doing so could have an adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, good order and discipline, health and safety, or any other military requirement, commanders can grant service members special permission to display their religious articles while in uniform.

Requests for religious accommodation can be denied when the “needs of mission accomplishment outweigh the needs of the service member,” the directive will explain.

Earlier this month, a major in the U.S. Army who is a Sikh American took his case to staffers on the Hill, explaining how he and other Sikhs should be able to serve in uniform and still maintain their religious beliefs, including wearing turbans and unshorn hair, including beards.

The new directive will explain that if the articles of faith or physical attributes interfere with the proper function of protective clothing and equipment, the request could be denied. For example, a beard or unshorn hair cannot interfere with gas masks or helmets.

Jewish service members can request permission to wear a yarmulke while in uniform. Muslim service members can request to wear a beard and carry prayer beads. Even Wiccan service members, those who practice "Magick," can seek accommodation — the directive covers all religions recognized by the U.S. military.

The policy will also spell out that service members have the right to observe no religion at all.

According to Defense Department statistics, which are based solely on self-reporting, there are only a handful of Sikh Americans in the military (about 3).

There are nearly 3,700 Muslims, nearly 6,300 Buddhists, and more than 1,500 Wiccans.

The immediate commander can approve some of the religious accommodation, but some will have to be kicked up to higher headquarters.

In some cases wearing something that impacts the uniform (religious apparel), grooming (beards, longer hair), religious tattoos, and some jewelry with religious inscriptions.

The directive stresses that “the importance of uniformity and adhering to standards, of putting unit before self, is more significant and needs to be carefully evaluated when considering each request for accommodation.”

It goes on to say that “it is particularly important to consider the effect on unit cohesion.”

Each individual service member has to re-apply for new permission at each new assignment, transfer of duty stations, and for each deployment.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014...s-turbans?lite

[mojaveman]

Sounds like the U.S. military is turning into a real circus. Any Hare Krishnas spotted on Bragg yet?

[glebo]

cool, as long as they don't have tattoos...

[Utah Bob]

Wiccans may carry a broom in lieu of an M4.

[MR2]

Originally Posted by Utah Bob

Wiccans may carry a broom in lieu of an M4.

And will probably be just if not more effective.

[Snaquebite]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014...g-facial-hair/

Can't wait to see this policy memorandum.

[orion5]

Next will be the camo burkas and niqabs.....

[Requiem]

It goes on to say that unless doing so could have an adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, good order and discipline, health and safety, or any other military requirement, commanders can grant service members special permission to display their religious articles while in uniform.

I would hope that this clause gets used frequently. Unit cohesion would cover just about everything, wouldn't it?

"Our unit cohesion sucks because the turban-wearing wiccan with the hexagram pendant riding a broom with a prayer rug in his ruck gets special privileges."

No?

What happened to unit, duty, country, before self?

S.

[Mills]

Originally Posted by glebo

cool, as long as they don't have tattoos...

Or sideburns longer than the top of your ear.............

[Max_Tab]

I think it's awesome, especially if a group commander would do this for every team guy. Long Hair and beards are every team guys religious expressions. Imagine an entire group looking like the guys from duck dynasty.

[olddoc]

Can you get an appropriate seal of a mask over a full beard to operate in an NBC environment or wear a helmet over a turban? Are you required to sign a release stating that you aren't concerned about lack of appropriate function of gear in certain environments, or are you exempted from operating in those environments because your cultural grooming precludes it.
I would have thought individuality would take a back seat to unit readiness and safety. I've been out of the military for a long time so maybe my examples are no longer valid.

[ghp95134]

Sikhs in the Indian Army wear helmets.

The fellah who posted that image says [ca. 2009]:

Sikh soldiers in the Indian Army wear the Patka Helmet, a steel and kevlar ballistic sleeve that fits over a turban. It actualy gives better protection than a standard Kevlar helmet.

source

The thread title is "Sikh police want ballistic turban".


--ghp

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by Max_Tab

I think it's awesome, especially if a group commander would do this for every team guy. Long Hair and beards are every team guys religious expressions. Imagine an entire group looking like the guys from duck dynasty.

lol They'd sure blend in up here.

[Snaquebite]

Well, there only a handful of Sikhs in the military yet thousands of Muslims. Who is this really catering to...I'll be willing to bet the number claiming Muslim on record will soon rise.

[PedOncoDoc]

Originally Posted by Snaquebite

Well, there only a handful of Sikhs in the military yet thousands of Muslims. Who is this really catering to...I'll be willing to bet the number claiming Muslim on record will soon rise.

Next you will have men claiming to be lesbians with gender identity disorder and requesting permission to wear birkenstocks.