I was willfully ignorant about the impact it was having on young Black men, he said. In December, Military.com reported that the Air Force Honor Guard changed its policy in April to allow airmen with shaving waivers to apply and join the guard. safety) or when precluded by a compelling (i.e., especially important) governmental and/or Air Force interest. ak cGeoI0_enzM8_#.Skvv1Nx72!oaBV >q@yN;NG.s;9>/B32:*I=u/x|=3;.m1.DWc(P(mZ XZ 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. | 1 comment. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. There are many religious reasons why people might choose to grow a beard. Paragraph 1.5.2.3 added: Members requesting a medical waiver to wear a beard must submit a letter "They were well-respected. 0. Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade use hot towels to warm their faces during a shaving clinic May 22 at the brigade's organizational classroom. A federal judge Thursday temporarily blocked the Air Force from penalizing a group of service members who are seeking a religious exemption to otherwise mandatory Covid-19 vaccination, in. The Sikh Coalition said the Air Force regulation closely resembles the Army's. Previously, these airmen needed to get their waivers updated annually. They also make offerings anything from food to drinks to physical objects to their gods during a ceremony called a blot, he said. There currently is no clear evidence showing that is the case, the study said. 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. 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. 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.. Capt. 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. Still, it seems the Honor Guard has not completely embraced shaving waivers. ooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. I was the typical senior leader chief that didnt think airmen with a shaving waiver belonged in the front office, one of the branchs most beloved former senior leaders, retired Chief Master Sgt. Sounds like you might want to talk to your local chaplain team. 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. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. For a long time, the old Norse mythology of Odin, Thor and Ragnark was just that for Staff Sgt. &w\=xi~Wh^iz`b=)!]T;iMC.OXm(+N*uHe{5"@"o$n*uQI'JHyLij%O&Q3 .\nOemNKW2j2ttYK9sll?hyA/fQ/lF\ pVyH0qd~T#o[Bpi*In=mS hU f[6rx~ 8;GO yNb4.A`t`Wj We dont believe that theres a superior race, Sopchak said. The Air Force plans to update its Air Force Instruction regulations governing dress and personal appearance and medical care management to reflect this change. Shaving sharpens the edges of facial hair and makes the condition worse, the college said, and shaving less frequently or allowing the beard to grow helps. 3.1.2.3.1. No Sikh American should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their career ambitions, said Giselle Klapper, Sikh Coalition Staff Attorney. There could be more studies of this topic to come. Sopchak said he was originally raised Baptist, but has not been a Christian for a long time. That study, which involved 798 airmen responding to emailed surveys, called for more research and data on the subject. <>>> Isnt the whole point of religious freedom that people CANT do that? Beard News in Air Force Copyright 2022 Beard Waiver - All Rights Reserved. Save Page Now. Also in 2019, Airman 1st Class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa became the first Sikh airman to receive an accommodation for a turban, beard and unshorn hair, and two Norse Heathen airmen were also allowed to grow beards. Central figures in Norse mythology such as Odin and Thor are commonly depicted as wearing beards. Published Feb 12, 2020 2:11 PM EST. It took Sopchak about 11 months to get his beard approved. The Air Force on Friday updated its regulations to formally allow airmen to ask for a waiver to wear religious apparel such as turbans or hijabs, or beards worn for religious reasons. Ou5g(O5b5md8_ -+'.$Dvqx)YDTwXD`m_~G ArVT+`oo 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 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 real challenge is how do you change the culture, not just in the Air Force but in the services period.. Maysaa Ouza became the first Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps officer to wear hijab. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. A1C Rathour is the first Sikh Airman to receive religious accommodation, and may grow his beard and wear his turban while in uniform. Comer wore a beard with a religious accommodation waiver, but beards in the Air Force may become far more common after a uniform board considers facial hair in November. Beards can also be seen as symbols of power, strength, and virility. Contact the author here. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Religious exemptions to the rule allow for beards up to 2 inches long. Beards cant exceed two inches if they do, they must be rolled and/or tied to achieve the required length, the regulations state. The regulation follows years of individual airmen and other service members receiving waivers for religious beards and apparel. The DAF will remove adverse information from records of those currently serving service members who sought. A sample memo also said that an airman wearing a turban could be ordered to remove it if he goes within 25 feet of an operating aircraft. are divided over that study showing beard waivers hurt careers. Legacy sites goang.com and afreserve.com will now direct users to the central airforce.com site. If they didnt have one, in some of the stories, they were actually ridiculed. David Roza And if that airman is assigned to a unit that wears a beret of a particular color, the unit commander can order him to wear a turban of the same color. The new version of the service's dress and appearance standards policy allows tattoos up to 1 . The Air Force has updated its grooming standards to formally allow Airmen to grow neatly trimmed beards, standardizing the religious or medical exemption process. such as an exemption uniform policy; the from a purchase of suitable, alternative personal protective . Sopchak said that something about the Heathen religion felt more real to him. However, most airmen who have waivers are Black, because they are more likely to be affected by pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) than White airmen. I will also add, the whole reason I want a beard is to help me with my faith during Ramadan. The Air Forces updated dress and personal appearance policy clarifies the grooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. Eugene Oliver/U.S. Here are some active soldiers who have been allowed to keep their facial hair. Beards should have been approved years ago, Facebook commenter Heather Britten wrote. The conventional view of facial hair is that it looks unprofessional in uniform. Since then, 21 Honor Guard airmen now have a pass to grow neatly-trimmed beards, according to Military.com. 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. Despite being in line with regulations, airmen with waivers reported feeling stigmatized for wearing facial hair. Also, do you have to be able to prove that you are that religion or can you just claim that you are a Muslim and thats that. dx xE28;eN0ORG*sMhw_2iL!o@/dUKS0sD~-dd!7r.7ucOjP0GH#_&F%)wr-' In August, images posted on Air Force amn/nco/snco teased a pilot program for inclusive male grooming standards which would allow service members to grow neatly-kept facial hair up to a quarter-inch in length, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. It marks the sixth and counting religious waiver permitting a beard in service for the Air Force, according to the online military news conglomerate that broke the story. 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. The Supreme Court today upheld Indian Air Force's denial of permission to two Muslim personnel to grow beard, holding that the two orders were in compliance with Regulation 425(b) which . Action on Requests for Religious Accommodation that Require the Waiver of Department of the Air Force Regulations or Policies or Directives . 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.. 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. Market-leading rankings and editorial commentary - see the top law firms & lawyers for Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations) in United States Personnel Division," to all sign off . Abdul Rahman Gaitain, an airman with the 821st. But his community now meets in parks or homes to commemorate holidays such as Yule and the solstices. Caitlyn Smoyer). The Air Force separated 610 Airmen for declining the once-mandated COVID-19 vaccination. 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. 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. Rather than delay his enlistment, Comer decided to shave his beard and apply for the accommodation at a later date. 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. It is a sincerely held belief, but I have not been a Muslim for long, only a couple weeks. Though. The new AFI formally allows requests for waivers, and for neat and conservative beards that present a professional appearance. There are conflicting published reports from the civilian sector with regard to the impact of facial hair on P2/N95 [face masks] fit testing, and none that we are aware of evaluating facial hair impact on military gas mask fit. the authors wrote. 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. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. t7be,2/gQ u7|O;(?lKHfm'*g' I{C The airmans unit commander would then decide whether to endorse the request. (In heathen lore . He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. Religious head coverings are also required to be free of designs or markings unless the individuals uniform has a camouflage pattern. 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 group is one of the Air Forces volunteer teams that considers ways to make policies more equitable for all airmen. 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. The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group which works on behalf of Sikhs and other religious minorities in the military, praised the new regulation. 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.. In the words of the Hungarian scholar Goldziher, 'The history of religion . According to the Department of Defense Instruction 1300. %PDF-1.5 Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. ;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 David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. As of Jan. 21, the Air Force has administratively separated 111 active duty Airmen. He received a beard waiver on July 8, 2019. And in February, the Air Force officially updated its regulations to formally allow airmen to request religious beard waivers. 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. 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. 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. Last year, Capt. 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. The Hammer of Thor is available to be placed on government headstones and markers in the United States. 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. It gradually worked its way up through the bureaucracy before ultimately being approved July 8 by Air Force personnel chief Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly. Rathour graduated Security Forces technical training on Sept. 26, 2019. 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. Isnt the whole point of Religious Freedom that people CANT question your religious beliefs?? 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 . The same was true for airmen trying to hit the rank of staff sergeant (E-5). The 2021 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. thx. The authors called for wider research in the area in order to refute or substantiate their findings. I cant tell you how many hundreds of times, probably thousands, that weve gotten [that] question. 3 0 obj In 2018, Staff Sgt. The updated policy requires religious apparel to be neat and conservative and not impede an individuals ability to perform assigned military duties or wear protective equipment. The demographics of the respondents closely match those of the Air Force in general, the study authors wrote. 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. 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. 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. And. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. There are plenty of smaller regulations detailing how religious beards and apparel should look in order to appear neat and conservative, the Air Force writes. 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. So I am not some expert I just watch YouTube videos of the teachings of Islam. It must also include a photo or description of the head covering, religious-affiliated item, grooming standard or personal appearance that is being requested. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. And in June, a Sikh airman received approval to wear a beard and turban. And in June, a Sikh airman received approval to wear a beard and turban. For some pagans, it is seen as a way of honoring the gods and goddesses. Sopchak, an aerospace ground equipment craftsman at Hill Air Force Base in Utah,said other airmen have been emailing him with questions about his faith. . The Air Force style authorities have spoken: neck and hand tattoos are in, beards are still out. stream 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 became the first Muslim airman to receive a religious accommodation beard waiver. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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 has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years. The updated Air Force Instruction, released Feb. 7, also formally allows Sikh airmen to wear turbans and Muslim women to wear hijabs. [T]he promotion system is not necessarily inherently racially biased, but instead biased against the presence of facial hair which will likely always affect the promotions of Blacks/African-Americans disproportionately because of the relatively higher need for shaving waivers in this population, wrote the authors of the study, a team of eight led by Air Force Lt. Col. Simon Ritchie. When requests are precluded by military necessity, commanders and supervisors should seek reasonable alternatives.. 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. Also, do you have to be able to prove that you are that religion or can you just claim that you are a Muslim and thats that. 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. With regards to promotions, the wait grows longer the more time airmen have shaving waivers. 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. Beard Religious Waivers in Air Force Norse Pagan, Sikh, Muslim and other Airmen have officially been granted religious waivers to wear beards. Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Times as senior reporter in March 2021. 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. 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. Powered by GoDaddy This website uses cookies. Theyre more like family members than they are divine beings, Sopchak said. 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. "There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry," the post read. 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. Sens. This is the first time the command has done so. We are working to take away the stigma attached to airmen who have a medical need or a religious accommodation for facial hair. thx. We recommend further study of gas mask and respirator fit testing with facial hair in the military population to clarify this.. 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.
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