Contact the author here. David Roza It gradually worked its way up through the bureaucracy before ultimately being approved July 8 by Air Force personnel chief Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly. Service spokesperson Ann Stefanek said the proposal is under discussion by the Black/African American Employment Strategy Team, but hasnt been approved. US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jackson Manske. Still, she called the policy clarification a great step forward.. Isnt the whole point of Religious Freedom that people CANT question your religious beliefs?? Religious head coverings are also required to be free of designs or markings unless the individuals uniform has a camouflage pattern. 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. William Bailey, a beard waiver. 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 religious beard exemption in the US army was created for the benefit of Sikhs. 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. Chief Bass comment demonstrates her commitment to changing the culture, and there seems to be some progress already. Currently serving Airmen and Guardians who sought exemptions from the Pentagon's COVID-19 vaccine mandate will see those actions reversed and records erased, a new memo from Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall states. Singh said that he believes the Air Forces policy update will make it easier for Sikh Americans to serve while maintaining their articles of faith. The study authors found that the long wait for promotions applied to airmen of all races who had waivers. 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. Powered by GoDaddy This website uses cookies. endobj
I was willfully ignorant about the impact it was having on young Black men, he said. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. DAFI 52-201 is the governing regulation for religious accommodation. 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. 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. Copyright 2023. Seven months later, this reporter could not immediately find any such progress reports. Thousands of American Muslims and members of other minority faiths serve in our nations military and should be able to practice their faith while serving, CAIRs spokesperson Ibrahim Hooper said in a statement. Based on the Air Force regulation, a disapproval should be based on real (not theoretical) compelling government interest (i.e. Paragraph 1.5.2.3 added: Members requesting a medical waiver to wear a beard must submit a letter Don't lie about your belief. 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. 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. 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. While the Air Force prohibits male members from growing beards, waivers are issued to airmen who,. 19 July 2019. 3.1.2.3.1. 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. The Air Force plans to update its Air Force Instruction regulations governing dress and personal appearance and medical care management to reflect this change. The demographics of the respondents closely match those of the Air Force in general, the study authors wrote. Changing policy, actually is the easy part, Wright said. Military Approving Beards for Pagan Worshipers. 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 US Air Force has updated its dress code policy to outline a clear approval process for Sikhs and Muslims who want to serve while wearing their articles of faith. &w\=xi~Wh^iz`b=)!]T;iMC.OXm(+N*uHe{5"@"o$n*uQI'JHyLij%O&Q3 .\nOemNKW2j2ttYK9sll?hyA/fQ/lF\
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hU f[6rx~ 8;GO yNb4.A`t`Wj 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. 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. . 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.. We dont have to hire RAND or Booz Allen Hamilton to do it, but the Air Force needs to want it to happen, he said at the time. At first, it appeared Sopchak was the first Heathen to get a beard waiver. Part of HuffPost Politics. Beards could be two months away in the Air Force. The new version of the service's dress and appearance standards policy allows tattoos up to 1 . Though. Be aware though, that the belief must be sincere, which means you will likely be interviewed by the chaplain about your beliefs, and they will advise your CC on whether or not your beliefs are sincere, or you're just trying to get a beard. 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. 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. Gurchetan Singh, the first Sikh American to secure a religious accommodation to serve in the Air National Guard, said Wednesday that hes grateful for the Air Forces policy change. The move came as a result of the Army authorizing beards for religious soldiers in January 2017 as part of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a move specifically enacted for Sikh soldiers. The authors called for wider research in the area in order to refute or substantiate their findings. The same was true for airmen trying to hit the rank of staff sergeant (E-5). Air Force Special Operations Command has made history by granting a religious accommodation waiver to a Sikh service member. We dont believe that theres a superior race, Sopchak said. %
The Brig. Later, every religious trend sought and found the hadiths that justified its principles. We speculate that these members, irrespective of race/ethnicity, may perceive this bias against shaving waivers and choose to leave the service earlier.. 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. A highly visible sign of changing Air Force policy may soon be evident here at Kingsley Field, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Sopchak said he was originally raised Baptist, but has not been a Christian for a long time. The Air Forces updated policy sets new grooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel, Airman 1st Class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. In 2018, Staff Sgt. (Garrett Sopchak) For nearly a year, the Air Force weighed a staff sergeant's request to grow a beard as part of his religious beliefs before. But so far, the call for beards seems to fall on deaf ears. Those encounters, along with studies like the one published last year, convinced Wright to change his position. 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. 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. Correction: This story was updated at 6:53 p.m. to reflect correct information about religious waivers for beards. 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. The group is one of the Air Forces volunteer teams that considers ways to make policies more equitable for all airmen. 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. Asking questions is fine, but how is that even legal? A California-based airman has become the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver after a 2014 policy. 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 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. Wright said he was opposed to facial hair in the Air Force for 29 of his 32 years in service. That was followed up by more leaked slides in October which promised that an updated facial hair standard would be considered at a November meeting of the Air Force Uniform Board, Coffee or Die Magazine reported. Staff Sgt. 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. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. But on July 18, the amn/nco/snco page posted a March 1 memo granting another Heathen airman, Staff Sgt. Garrett Sopchak mythology, a collection of interesting stories but little more. 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. There could be more studies of this topic to come. Caitlyn Smoyer). The research studied the effect of shaving waivers on the careers of active duty male airmen. 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. endobj
This causes inflammation and a foreign body reaction, and over time, can result in scarring. Abdul Rahman Gaitain, an airman with the 821st. 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. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. 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. The standards for growing a beard for medical reasons remain unchanged, the Air Force said. Brown Jr. covered a broad range of topics with his additions to his Leadership Library in February. 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. Meanwhile, about 76.83% of the no-waiver group was White. 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. Editors note: This story has been updated with new comments from Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass. Some pagans might choose to grow a beard in order to express their religious identity or beliefs. There are many religious reasons why people might choose to grow a beard. 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. Maysaa Ouza became the first Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps officer to wear hijab. ;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 Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Any recommendations made by the board would then have to be approved by Air Force senior leadership, a service spokesperson told Coffee or Die at the time. 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. The updated Air Force Instruction, released Feb. 7, also formally allows Sikh airmen to wear turbans and Muslim women to wear hijabs. It is unclear how many Norse pagans, Heathen, or Asatru followers are in the military, but they have become increasingly visible in recent years. See Beard News in Air Force for more information. A religious accommodation request must include information including the airmans job, what the airman is asking for and the religious reason for the request, and a comment on the sincerity of the request. 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. 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. 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. Religious exemptions to the rule allow for beards up to 2 inches long. Any links to regs would be appricated. In the words of the Hungarian scholar Goldziher, 'The history of religion . Less of having to work with skeleton crews, he said. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. The new AFI formally allows requests for waivers, and for neat and conservative beards that present a professional appearance. 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. 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. 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. 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 studys findings are particularly significant because they come at a time when the Air Force is reckoning with racial disparities in the service overall. Despite being in line with regulations, airmen with waivers reported feeling stigmatized for wearing facial hair. such as an exemption uniform policy; the from a purchase of suitable, alternative personal protective . It is is up to the wing commander (or the unit's equivalent of such a commander) to make the final decision. 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 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. 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. 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.. The Quran, too, was used in a similar manner. Heres how. Some of it was because I just ignored it, some of it was because I wanted these young men to do what I did: just suck it up and figure it out and youll be fine.. 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. He hopes to become a Gothi essentially an ordained priest and perhaps become an official Air Force chaplain. The Sikh Coalition said the Air Force regulation closely resembles the Army's. Sens. 2 0 obj
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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. >_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 Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. 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. 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. 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 Air Force has updated its grooming standards to formally allow Airmen to grow neatly trimmed beards, standardizing the religious or medical exemption process. Abdul Rahman Gaitan, 821st Contingency Response Squadron aerial porter, was among the first to be granted a religious accommodation for a shaving waiver based . Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. He also consulted with The Asatru Community, a nonprofit group that advocates for followers of Norse pagan religions. I can answer the questions, so it is not really a problem but how is that even legal? For AFR waiver processing instructions see AFMAN 368001, - Participation and Training Procedures. The research studied the effect of shaving waivers on the careers of active duty male airmen. 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. USAF photo by Alexander Goad. This new study looked at a much larger share of data and involved 9,339 valid responses. 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 previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. Air Force Officially OKs Beards, Turbans, Hijabs for Religious Reasons . (U.S. Air Force) Airmen will be allowed to wear up to. 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. This is a volunteers proposal.. 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. ak cGeoI0_enzM8_#.Skvv1Nx72!oaBV
>q@yN;NG.s;9>/B32:*I=u/x|=3;.m1.DWc(P(mZ XZ Paragraph 1.5.2.3 should be renumbered as 1.5.2.4. 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. For AFR waiver processing instructions see AFMAN 36-8001, Participation and Training Procedures. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. 3 0 obj
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.