air force religious beard waiver

Service spokesperson Ann Stefanek said the proposal is under discussion by the Black/African American Employment Strategy Team, but hasnt been approved. It gradually worked its way up through the bureaucracy before ultimately being approved July 8 by Air Force personnel chief Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly. During tours of less than 30 days, Air 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. 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. Still, she called the policy clarification a great step forward.. The idea would let participating airmen sport well-kept beards no longer than one-quarter inch, Military.com first reported Monday. 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. | Powered by GoDaddy This website uses cookies. So I am not some expert I just watch YouTube videos of the teachings of Islam. 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. stream Gen. Charles A. McGee Leadership Award, named after the legendary Tuskegee Airman, will give either $18,000 per year, The Space Forces new leader has definedthree lines of effort he wants the young service to pursue, focusing on combat-ready forces, personnel management, and partnerships with other Pentagon organizations and allies. 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 has updated its grooming standards to formally allow Airmen to grow neatly trimmed beards, standardizing the religious or medical exemption process. And in February, the Air Force officially updated its regulations to formally allow airmen to request religious beard waivers. 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. 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.. For AFR waiver processing instructions see AFMAN 36-8001, Participation and Training Procedures. Singh was born in India and followed his father, an asylee, to the U.S. in 2012. (In heathen lore . Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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. Changing policy, actually is the easy part, Wright said. However, given the most recent research; shaving waivers could play a role in racial disparity in terms of promotions. Get the latest military news, entertainment, and gear in your inbox daily. "They were well-respected. 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 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?. 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. In December, the Air Force commissioned its first female Muslim chaplain . 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. 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. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. Air Force Officially OKs Beards, Turbans, Hijabs for Religious Reasons . 4 0 obj Published Dec 21, 2022 5:12 PM EST. A staff judge advocate must also review the request package. Singh wanted to serve in the U.S. military to defend the country that had taken his family in, according to the Sikh Coalition. That study, which involved 798 airmen responding to emailed surveys, called for more research and data on the subject. 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. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. He received a beard waiver on July 8, 2019. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. 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. It must also include a photo or description of the head covering, religious-affiliated item, grooming standard or personal appearance that is being requested. Correction: This story was updated at 6:53 p.m. to reflect correct information about religious waivers for beards. Airmen can use styling products on their beards, but petroleum-based products are not allowed while wearing a protective mask. &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 All are welcome. Many Asatruars and other heathens think it's wrong for heathens to use this exemption because heathens don't have the kind of religion in which our gods require all their followers to follow commandments in order to achieve a proper afterlife. We recommend further study of gas mask and respirator fit testing with facial hair in the military population to clarify this.. 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.. In 2018, Staff Sgt. 1 0 obj What happens when patients disagree with an exemption decision? 19 July 2019. David Roza 3 0 obj Theyre more like family members than they are divine beings, Sopchak said. The religious accommodation process is designed to accommodate individuals who can cite specific teachings, traditions, or texts that Air Force policies contradict. David Roza 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. Later, every religious trend sought and found the hadiths that justified its principles. 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. Sopchak said he was originally raised Baptist, but has not been a Christian for a long time. 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. 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. 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. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Part of HuffPost Politics. Its a little scraggly right now, Sopchak said. such as an exemption uniform policy; the from a purchase of suitable, alternative personal protective . The Air Force is committed to continuing to remove barriers that prevent airmen from applying for, and being accepted into, career broadening opportunities, Bass said in a statement sent to Task & Purpose. t7be,2/gQ u7|O;(?lKHfm'*g' I{C As part of the process, an airman must describe the religious basis for and include a comment on the sincerity of the request. In March 2021, after Comer arrived at Maxwell Air Force Base, he started talking to his first sergeant about applying for a religious accommodation to obtain a beard waiver. ), the Washington Post, and others. With regards to promotions, the wait grows longer the more time airmen have shaving waivers. Last year, Capt. 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. I know Islam is iffy on if Beard are actually required but it is apart of the religion that I want to practice. 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.. Since then, 21 Honor Guard airmen now have a pass to grow neatly-trimmed beards, according to Military.com. 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. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. 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. Press J to jump to the feed. 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. The DAF will remove adverse information from records of those currently serving service members who sought. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a religious accommodation beard waiver. 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. 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. The real challenge is how do you change the culture, not just in the Air Force but in the services period.. The Nevada Army Guard said that Sgt. Capt. We dont believe that theres a superior race, Sopchak said. Less of having to work with skeleton crews, he said. 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. The group is one of the Air Forces volunteer teams that considers ways to make policies more equitable for all airmen. The study also called for re-examining the Air Forces most-cited reason for having a beard regulation, which is the concern that a beard would interfere with a gas masks seal around an airmans face. 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. According to the regulation, turbans, hijabs, under-turbans or other headwear must be plain, dark blue, black, and free of designs or markings except when matching with the airman's camouflage uniform. Friday's regulation formalizes such waivers into a multi-step review process. *!+zu[XAoC_:X/0{ v8iAU}JqQ.u`6fE_GJTBh$Wx)Vpw#7~rDeI0r\!H(NW|/bcPRHBe0tEyXYD q{ %PDF-1.5 1 comment. Another example of neat and conservative is color. It is a sincerely held belief, but I have not been a Muslim for long, only a couple weeks. Ou5g(O5b5md8_ -+'.$Dvqx)YDTwXD`m_~G ArVT+`oo There are also exceptions for Air Force Reservists serving less than 30 days. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. The Brig. 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. The Air Force also granted its first religious accommodation beard waiver, to a Muslim airman, in 2018. W2~@R>tA);|6[ +XnDnQi\k`LF. 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 style authorities have spoken: neck and hand tattoos are in, beards are still out. It was approved in September, which means Singh will soon head to basic training. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. 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. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. 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. Contact the author here. Beards should have been approved years ago, Facebook commenter Heather Britten wrote. 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). The study, which was published in July 2021, pointed out that many of the airmen who apply for medical shaving waivers are Black, because Black men are more likely to be affected by pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) commonly referred to as razor bumps than White men. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed the policy change. Sopchak, a 28-year-old aerospace ground equipment craftsman at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, on July 8 received approval to get approval to wear a beard in accordance with his Heathen faith. William Bailey, a beard waiver. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. 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. But if they deny a religious accommodation request, it will go up to the Air Force headquarters manpower, personnel and services directorate, Air Force reserve or the Air National Guard for a final review and decision. The research studied the effect of shaving waivers on the careers of active duty male airmen. Kesh, or 'uncut hair' is one of the five religious requirements of baptized Sikhs. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. 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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..

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