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. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? As we work to build a more inclusive force, we are constantly assessing and evaluating all of the processes and programs that affect our Airmen, she said. 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. 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. Air Force Officially OKs Beards, Turbans, Hijabs for Religious Reasons . This condition can appear in a person of any ethnicity but is predominantly seen in Blacks/African Americans, study authors wrote. The United States military continues to bend its strict grooming rules to appease Muslims, most recently allowing an Air Force sergeant to sport a beard for religious reasons. Beards cant exceed two inches if they do, they must be rolled and/or tied to achieve the required length, the regulations state. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. The Air Force Times reports that applications for waivers can now be made by airmen who wish to wear religious apparel or are requesting exemptions from rules prohibiting beards and long hair. 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. Another example of neat and conservative is color. 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 . Any links to regs would be appricated. x\[o~d/Sp|A|=hdDPwfvIQuDgg?ydtx.b`1K55'V#wLDP,(Wj Sopchak said in a Tuesday interview that in the old sagas, a beard was a sign someone was a respected member of the community who could be trusted to help others. Meanwhile, about 76.83% of the no-waiver group was White. Summary: Secret agent/spy Arthur is part of a private investigation, initiated by Saito, to infiltrate a secret collusion of the world's biggest energy corporations but treacher A member of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has received the first-ever religious-related waiver, allowing him to wear a turban and keep a beard. In such cases, an airman's command could order an immediate removal of the turban, hijab or facial hair (although it's not clear how much time an airman would have to shave). 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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. According to a statement from the Air Force, Senior Airman Dominic Varriale was granted the turban waiver in 2020. The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group which works on behalf of Sikhs and other religious minorities in the military, praised the new regulation. 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. USAF photo by Alexander Goad. Master Sgt. ;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 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. Beards could be two months away in the Air Force. This condition, which the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology says affects up to 60 percent of Black men, occurs when curved facial hairs grow back into the skin. It is unclear how many Norse pagans, Heathen, or Asatru followers are in the military, but they have become increasingly visible in recent years. 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. Her work has appeared in Air Force Magazine, Inside Defense, Inside Health Policy, the Frederick News-Post (Md. The regulation follows years of individual airmen and other service members receiving waivers for religious beards and apparel. Sounds like you might want to talk to your local chaplain team. Religious exemptions to the rule allow for beards up to 2 inches long. DAFI52-201 23 JUNE 2021 5 Written request for accommodation received by 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.. Big news today for the many airmen out there who want to grow out their beards: not only is there little evidence showing that beards interfere with a gas mask seal, but the Air Forces ban on beards may also be contributing to racial discrimination and hurting promotion opportunities within the service. The Army granted a similar waiver last year, and beard exemptions have been granted for a growing number of Sikhs and Muslims though not atheists. Beards can also be seen as symbols of power, strength, and virility. 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. Paragraph 1.5.2.3 should be renumbered as 1.5.2.4. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. 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 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 regulation formalizes a waiver process for future airmen seeking to wear turbans, hijab or beards, By 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. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. 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. See Beard News in Air Force for more information. Wing commanders or other leaders at major commands, numbered air forces or other organizations will then approve or deny such a request. I cant tell you how many hundreds of times, probably thousands, that weve gotten [that] question. Changing policy, actually is the easy part, Wright said. The Brig. There are also exceptions for Air Force Reservists serving less than 30 days. I will also add, the whole reason I want a beard is to help me with my faith during Ramadan. Maysaa Ouza became the first Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps officer to wear hijab. Previously, these airmen needed to get their waivers updated annually. [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. The U.S. Air Force issued new guidelines on Friday giving members who wear religious apparel a way to serve the country without compromising their faith. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. "They were well-respected. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. When requests are precluded by military necessity, commanders and supervisors should seek reasonable alternatives.. 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. Click here. It is a sincerely held belief, but I have not been a Muslim for long, only a couple weeks. Tim Chacon/Air National Guard. Contact the author here. 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. If substantiated, then the benefits of the grooming standards, as defined in Air Force Instruction 36-2903, should be re-evaluated in the context of these findings, they wrote. 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The Air Force also granted its first religious accommodation beard waiver, to a Muslim airman, in 2018. Dec. 26, 2022. Air Force Special Operations Command has made history by granting a religious accommodation waiver to a Sikh service member. The new AFI formally allows requests for waivers, and for neat and conservative beards that present a professional appearance. The DAF will remove adverse information from records of those currently serving service members who sought. other similar condition s that prohibits regular facial shaving may requ est a waiver to wear a beard . The wing chaplain or equivalent will then assign a chaplain to interview the requesting airman about what is motivating him or her to ask for it. The Air Force encourages religious freedoms of service members as one of four pillars of resiliency to help build and sustain a strong and healthy workplace and community. 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 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. 0. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. Isnt the whole point of religious freedom that people CANT do that? 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 . <> And in June, a Sikh airman received approval to wear a beard and turban. The group is one of the Air Forces volunteer teams that considers ways to make policies more equitable for all airmen. Capt. The military branch said it will remove "adverse information" from the records of those who sought an exemption on "religious, administrative, or medical grounds and who received adverse actions solely due to their . Less of having to work with skeleton crews, he said. The last sentence indicates that Air Force senior leadership wants to be in sync with other services on major changes in facial hair policy. The Air Force also granted its first religious accommodation beard waiver, to a Muslim airman, in 2018. Want to write for Task & Purpose? Sorry airmen, you're not getting beards without a medical or religious waiver anytime soon, as Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles 'CQ' Brown and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force . The memo said he can grow a longer beard if he rolls or ties it, but Sopchak said hell likely keep it within two inches to stay safe on the job and keep it simple. (In heathen lore . It interfaces with DAFPD 52-1, Chaplain Corps; Air Force Instruction (AFI) . The religious beard exemption in the US army was created for the benefit of Sikhs. Chaplains typically can tell if you're trying to BS them and it can affect the perceived credibility of real requests in the future. The comment, which was also shared on the popular Facebook page Air Force amn/nco/snco, was made in response to a selfie she posted of herself alongside Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall and Airman 1st Class Kyle Voss-McReynolds, who was the leadership teams driver during a recent event and who also wears a beard in uniform. I had opportunities to hire all kinds of folks and I was adamant about not hiring somebody with a shaving waiver, just because I fell into that category of this is Air Force policy, its not professional, he said. And last December, a group of sailors on the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis held the Navys first Heathen lay service. The research studied the effect of shaving waivers on the careers of active duty male airmen. The U.S. Air Force granted its first religious waivers to the military-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate this week. ), the Washington Post, and others. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jackson Manske. Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Times as senior reporter in March 2021. The study would require only 100 to 150 service members, he said. 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. The Hammer of Thor is available to be placed on government headstones and markers in the United States. Kesh, or 'uncut hair' is one of the five religious requirements of baptized Sikhs. 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. By (U.S. Air Force) Airmen will be allowed to wear up to. I know Islam is iffy on if Beard are actually required but it is apart of the religion that I want to practice. The authors called for wider research in the area in order to refute or substantiate their findings. t7be,2/gQ u7|O;(?lKHfm'*g' I{C In addition to believing in the old Norse gods, he said, Heathens believe that they are descended from them. 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. 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. 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. The problem is how to convince the rest of the Air Force to follow suit. 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 currently prohibits service members from growing beards unless they are granted a religious or medical waiver, a policy that has come under scrutiny lately after military. . 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. If the idea moves forward, participating airmen and guardians would become the subject of a research project whose data could convince high-level Pentagon officials to allow more flexibility on facial hair. Singh was born in India and followed his father, an asylee, to the U.S. in 2012. 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. A highly visible sign of changing Air Force policy may soon be evident here at Kingsley Field, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. 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. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. 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. 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 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. Press J to jump to the feed. When requests are precluded by military necessity, commanders and supervisors should seek reasonable alternatives.. Get your daily fix of Air Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. 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. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Based on the Air Force regulation, a disapproval should be based on real (not theoretical) compelling government interest (i.e. DAFI 52-201 is the governing regulation for religious accommodation. 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. However, given the most recent research; shaving waivers could play a role in racial disparity in terms of promotions. Brown Jr. covered a broad range of topics with his additions to his Leadership Library in February. Its unclear how many people currently use shaving waivers. The Air Force has updated its grooming standards to formally allow Airmen to grow neatly trimmed beards, standardizing the religious or medical exemption process. The new findings build off a preliminary study published in December which said that shaving waivers had negatively affected the careers of many airmen, especially those of color. David Roza 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.. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. I can answer the questions, so it is not really a problem but how is that even legal? The military branch . The Coalition said both changes were influenced by a years-long advocacy and litigation campaign by the Coalition and its pro bono co-counsel at McDermott Will & Emery. 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). Air & Space Forces Magazine is the official publication of the Air & Space Forces Association, 1501 Langston Boulevard, Arlington, Va., 22209-1198. Garrett Sopchak mythology, a collection of interesting stories but little more. 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 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. 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. The majority of the waiver group was Black (64.18%), despite that group making up only 12.85% of the cohort. Abdul Rahman Gaitain, an airman with the 821st. The updated regulation said beards must be no longer than two inches when measured from the bottom of the chin, and must be rolled and/or tied when longer than two inches. Beard hair longer than two inches must be rolled and/or tied to achieve the required length. 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. 1st Class Benjamin . He joined Task & Purpose in 2019, after covering local news in Maine and FDA policy in Washington D.C. David loves hearing the stories of individual airmen and their families and sharing the human side of Americas most tech-heavy military branch. 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. But advocates argue that more sweeping changes are needed, in part because shaving waivers are often misunderstood and hurt Airmen's careers. According to an Air Force press . Editors note: This story has been updated with new comments from Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass. Now, updated Air Force regulations make clearer and smoother the path for personnel to request and obtain a similar religious waiver. They also make offerings anything from food to drinks to physical objects to their gods during a ceremony called a blot, he said. 1 comment. 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. In December, The Air Force released a sweeping review which found that Black service members are disproportionately punished and promoted more slowly when compared to their White peers. 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. He also hopes to grow the Heathen community in the area around Hill. In the stories, you could see even the gods themselves have flaws, Sopchak said. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. 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. 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. Theres a lot of things that we learn from the past and our ancestry, and its just carrying on the line, really.. The U.S. Air Force issued new guidelines on Friday giving members who wear religious apparel a way to serve the country without compromising their faith. Hopper,. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. Rathour graduated Security Forces technical training on Sept. 26, 2019. For a long time, the old Norse mythology of Odin, Thor and Ragnark was just that for Staff Sgt. Still, Ritchie called for a study to come up with a conclusive answer. Airmen who need to grow out their facial hair in uniform can take heart that the top enlisted airman, Chief Master Sgt. Beard News in Air Force Copyright 2022 Beard Waiver - All Rights Reserved. Last year, Capt. Eugene Oliver/U.S. With regards to promotions, the wait grows longer the more time airmen have shaving waivers. Part of HuffPost Politics. "There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry," the post read. And. | I want to go all out with practing the religion (including reading the Quran like it is recommened during Ramadan. 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. 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. That assessment, and ability to address and adjust, is critical to our force, and our people. 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. But so far, the call for beards seems to fall on deaf ears. The updated Air Force Instruction, released Feb. 7, also formally allows Sikh airmen to wear turbans and Muslim women to wear hijabs. endobj 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.