air force religious beard waiver

such as an exemption uniform policy; the from a purchase of suitable, alternative personal protective . 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. 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The Air Force has updated its grooming standards to formally allow Airmen to grow neatly trimmed beards, standardizing the religious or medical exemption process. Garrett Sopchak, a 28-year-old aerospace . The Air Forces updated policy sets new grooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. 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. Something about what he found resonated, and Sopchak became a Norse Heathen. 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. Accommodation of Religious Practices in the Air Force. The Air Force style authorities have spoken: neck and hand tattoos are in, beards are still out. Given the racial distribution of waivers, this may have an unintended discriminatory effect by limiting the opportunities that these members are offered, the study authors wrote. 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). Contact the author here. 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. 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. is at the same time the history o f the interpretation of the Scriptures.'18 The Sunna embodied an ossified tradition. Beards can also be seen as symbols of power, strength, and virility. The research studied the effect of shaving waivers on the careers of active duty male airmen. The religious beard exemption in the US army was created for the benefit of Sikhs. The authors called for wider research in the area in order to refute or substantiate their findings. The advocacy group submitted a religious accommodation request for Singh in April 2019. The study could provide ammunition for airmen who really want to grow out their beards, a large number of whom advocate for changing the facial hair regulations on social media platforms like Reddit and Facebook. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. Chaplains typically can tell if you're trying to BS them and it can affect the perceived credibility of real requests in the future. "There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry," the post read. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? 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. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. Sopchak said he was originally raised Baptist, but has not been a Christian for a long time. The U.S. Air Force granted its first religious waivers to the military-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate this week. Singh wanted to serve in the U.S. military to defend the country that had taken his family in, according to the Sikh Coalition. Published Jul 14, 2021 8:57 AM EDT. Because its a faith that hasnt been practiced in about 1,000 years, he said, theres no set way to practice it. Based on the successful examples of Soldiers currently serving with these accommodations, I have determined He also hopes to grow the Heathen community in the area around Hill. Directly before me was one of the mirrors I have mentioned, in which I saw reflected the tall shape of my friend, Mr. Jennings, leaning over my shoulder, and reading the page at which I was busy, and with a face so dark and wild that I . A staff judge advocate must also review the request package. 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. We speculate that these members, irrespective of race/ethnicity, may perceive this bias against shaving waivers and choose to leave the service earlier.. In the stories, you could see even the gods themselves have flaws, Sopchak said. 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. Thats according to a new research paper published last week in the journal Military Medicine, which found that Air Force regulations against facial hair disproportionately affect Black or African American airmen and can lead to slower rates of promotion and limited job opportunities within the service. | The airmans unit commander would then decide whether to endorse the request. (Staff Sgt. William Bailey, received a waiver to grow a beard in March. 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. Seven months later, this reporter could not immediately find any such progress reports. The conventional view of facial hair is that it looks unprofessional in uniform. Air Force Global Strike Command is launching a new study of cancer risks among Airmen and Guardians who worked near intercontinental ballistic missiles and is developing new resources for current and former service members and their families. Since then, 21 Honor Guard airmen now have a pass to grow neatly-trimmed beards, according to Military.com. I cant tell you how many hundreds of times, probably thousands, that weve gotten [that] question. | 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. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a religious accommodation beard waiver. 4 0 obj I know Islam is iffy on if Beard are actually required but it is apart of the religion that I want to practice. 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. 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.. 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. That study, which involved 798 airmen responding to emailed surveys, called for more research and data on the subject. The same was true for airmen trying to hit the rank of staff sergeant (E-5). Published Feb 12, 2020 2:11 PM EST. In a Tuesday update of the Department of the Air Force's COVID-19 response, the service announced it had approved nine religious accommodations, including eight through service members' major and field commands and one through a Department of the Air Force appeal. The idea would let participating airmen sport well-kept beards no longer than one-quarter inch, Military.com first reported Monday. USAF photo by Alexander Goad. 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. 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 in June, a Sikh airman received approval to wear a beard and turban. There's no more reliable source for news about your Air Force. Legacy sites goang.com and afreserve.com will now direct users to the central airforce.com site. 3 0 obj Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. The Air Force's updated dress and personal appearance policy clarifies the gr ooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. 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. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. endobj I have an approved religious accommodation and have gotten pretty knowledgeable on the process. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. 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. Previously, the only exceptions for active-duty personnel were medical waivers. Capt. The Sikh Coalition represents Airman 1st Class Gurchetan Singh, who is the first Sikh American to secure a religious accommodation to serve in the Air National Guard. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. . 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. 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 doctors studied its discriminatory effect on Black airmen. By The group is one of the Air Forces volunteer teams that considers ways to make policies more equitable for all airmen. The Air Force Surgeon General has approved five-year waivers allowing male airmen with a medical condition causing painful ingrown hairs to grow beards, the service said Tuesday. 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. 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. This condition can appear in a person of any ethnicity but is predominantly seen in Blacks/African Americans, study authors wrote. Many airmens dearest wish may soon come true if the Air Force greenlights a pilot program allowing some men to grow beards. (U.S. Air Force) Airmen will be allowed to wear up to. Rathour graduated Security Forces technical training on Sept. 26, 2019. Contact the author here. The update to AFI 36-2903, Dress and personal appearance of Air Force personnel, allows airmen to request a waiver to wear religious apparel, as long as they are neat and conservative and present a professional and well-groomed appearance. So far, the Air Force has banned beards for all except those who have five-year medical waivers for pseudofolliculitis barbae, or chronic razor bumps, or religious waivers for those for whom. 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. First Air Force JAG officer to wear hijab featured in short NBC documentary, Women in the military: Moving beyond firsts, Veterans Affairs drops mask requirement for all agency medical offices, Officials OK some hand and neck tattoos for airmen, Guardians, Perennial pilot shortage puts Air Force in precarious position, Healthy eating on a budget for busy military spouses, Tax scams How to report them Money Minute, Capitol Hill weighs action on two controversial topics: medical marijuana and abortion, Lockheed wins hypersonics contract | Defense Dollars, Go inside a secret nuclear fallout bunker sealed for decades, Another Air Force fleet grounded over fears plane tails may fall off, Pentagon orders engine vibration fix for entire F-35 fleet worldwide, Minot firings due to failed nuclear safety inspection, Air Force advisers study use of satellites for tracking moving targets. Central figures in Norse mythology such as Odin and Thor are commonly depicted as wearing beards. So I am not some expert I just watch YouTube videos of the teachings of Islam. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed the policy change. 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. 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. The study would require only 100 to 150 service members, he said. <>/ExtGState<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/Annots[ 13 0 R 16 0 R] /MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> It is unclear how many Norse pagans, Heathen, or Asatru followers are in the military, but they have become increasingly visible in recent years. We dont believe that theres a superior race, Sopchak said. 2 0 obj Beards could be two months away in the Air Force. It interfaces with DAFPD 52-1, Chaplain Corps; Air Force Instruction (AFI) . Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim. 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. Here are some active soldiers who have been allowed to keep their facial hair. 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. If they didnt have one, in some of the stories, they were actually ridiculed. Staff Sgt. According to the Department of Defense Instruction 1300. However, given the most recent research; shaving waivers could play a role in racial disparity in terms of promotions. Powered by GoDaddy This website uses cookies. Rather than delay his enlistment, Comer decided to shave his beard and apply for the accommodation at a later date. 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.. 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. Her work has appeared in Air Force Magazine, Inside Defense, Inside Health Policy, the Frederick News-Post (Md. 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. Want to write for Task & Purpose? If youre willing to learn, we are willing to teach.. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. 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. 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. 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.. Wing commanders or other leaders at major commands, numbered air forces or other organizations will then approve or deny such a request. Later, every religious trend sought and found the hadiths that justified its principles. Airmen in the guard with waivers can wear beards in Air Force ceremonies and duties, but not as part of a joint service honor guard with another branch, Military.com reported. The hijab, or head scarf, can be made of a subdued material in a color that resembles the airmans assigned uniform, such as black, brown, green, tan or navy blue, the regulation said. Guidelines for requesting a religious accommodation for a Heathen beard in the U.S. Air Force In 2018, Staff Sgt. Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel, Airman 1st Class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa. In addition to believing in the old Norse gods, he said, Heathens believe that they are descended from them. And. 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. Shaving waivers can hold back an airman's career, and since most airmen with waivers are Black, the regulations are effectively discriminatory. The last sentence indicates that Air Force senior leadership wants to be in sync with other services on major changes in facial hair policy. Action on Requests for Religious Accommodation that Require the Waiver of Department of the Air Force Regulations or Policies or Directives . thx. 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. Tell me youre an A1C without telling me youre an A1C. Rather than delay his enlistment, Comer decided to shave his beard and apply for the accommodation at a later date. 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. Still, she called the policy clarification a great step forward.. See Beard News in Air Force for more information. I will also add, the whole reason I want a beard is to help me with my faith during Ramadan. 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. A1C Rathour is the first Sikh Airman to receive religious accommodation, and may grow his beard and wear his turban while in uniform.

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