Many airmens dearest wish may soon come true if the Air Force greenlights a pilot program allowing some men to grow beards. Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Last year, Capt. Dec. 26, 2022. Staff Sgt. 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. 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). 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. In addition to promoting one's own well-being and four pillars, respecting others whose viewpoints differ from them is expected from the total force. 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. 1st Class Benjamin . 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. What happens when patients disagree with an exemption decision? Start with the chaplain, and work with them to route the request through your chain. Based on the successful examples of Soldiers currently serving with these accommodations, I have determined 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. A federal appeals court on Friday granted a preliminary injunction allowing two Sikh men to immediately begin basic training with the U.S. Marine Corps without shaving their beards . 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. For AFR waiver processing instructions see AFMAN 368001, - Participation and Training Procedures. 3.1.2.3.1. (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. There are also exceptions for Air Force Reservists serving less than 30 days. 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. Many airmen on social media called for abandoning the beard prohibition altogether. Less of having to work with skeleton crews, he said. All are welcome. 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. x\[o~d/Sp|A|=hdDPwfvIQuDgg?ydtx.b`1K55'V#wLDP,(Wj In 2017, the U.S. Army officially updated its dress and appearance standards to accommodate hijabs, turbans and beards. endobj Shaving Waiver stigma Air Force Medicine medical beard Al Dhafra . Based on the Air Force regulation, a disapproval should be based on real (not theoretical) compelling government interest (i.e. <>/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>> 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. But his community now meets in parks or homes to commemorate holidays such as Yule and the solstices. Such a request for an exemption to a military policy can only be denied, the AFI change said, if the policy furthers a compelling government interest and is the least restrictive way of furthering that interest. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. of the Air Force Kaleth Wright, said in April on a panel discussion on male grooming standards in the Air Force. 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 and hijabs. <>>> Its a little scraggly right now, 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. Later, every religious trend sought and found the hadiths that justified its principles. Editors note: This story has been updated with new comments from Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass. 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. Sample accommodation request memos included with the regulation said that the Air Force can order an airman to immediately shave or remove their turban or hijab if they need to be ready to wear a gas mask during an emergency. For example, it took airmen with eight or more years with a waiver about a year longer on average to get promoted to the rank of technical sergeant (E-6) compared to airmen who had a waiver for just a year or two. 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. 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. Singh was born in India and followed his father, an asylee, to the U.S. in 2012. 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. Beard Religious Waivers in Air Force Norse Pagan, Sikh, Muslim and other Airmen have officially been granted religious waivers to wear beards. Contact the author here. The airmans unit commander would then decide whether to endorse the request. 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. 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. The U. S. Air Force has published new guidance for religious accommodations that allow airmen to wear beards, turbans and hijabs. | Want to write for Task & Purpose? The majority of the waiver group was Black (64.18%), despite that group making up only 12.85% of the cohort. The new AFI formally allows requests for waivers, and for neat and conservative beards that present a professional appearance. Rathour graduated Security Forces technical training on Sept. 26, 2019. 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 last sentence indicates that Air Force senior leadership wants to be in sync with other services on major changes in facial hair policy. Published Dec 21, 2022 5:12 PM EST. This causes inflammation and a foreign body reaction, and over time, can result in scarring. The updated Air Force Instruction, released Feb. 7, also formally allows Sikh airmen to wear turbans and Muslim women to wear hijabs. 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. 173rd Fighter Wing Airmen may begin taking advantage of new uniform regulations allowing religious exemptions such as beards, hijabs, and turbans while in uniform. other similar condition s that prohibits regular facial shaving may requ est a waiver to wear a beard . In addition to believing in the old Norse gods, he said, Heathens believe that they are descended from them. 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. "They were well-respected. 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. When requests are precluded by military necessity, commanders and supervisors should seek reasonable alternatives.. The Air Forces updated policy sets new grooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. The U.S. Air Force granted its first religious waivers to the military-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate this week. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. Powered by GoDaddy This website uses cookies. Get your daily fix of Air Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. 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. Rather than delay his enlistment, Comer decided to shave his beard and apply for the accommodation at a later date. 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. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim. 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. Wright said he was opposed to facial hair in the Air Force for 29 of his 32 years in service. In the stories, you could see even the gods themselves have flaws, Sopchak said. And last December, a group of sailors on the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis held the Navys first Heathen lay service. Copyright 2023. Maysaa Ouza became the first Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps officer to wear hijab. Chief Bass comment demonstrates her commitment to changing the culture, and there seems to be some progress already. Yes, Navy Seals can grow beards. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. The Air Force, citing privacy concerns, declined to identify how many airmen have obtained waivers based on religious exemptions but said the publicity surrounding approvals in recent years has . 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. ooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. Shaving waivers can hold back an airman's career, and since most airmen with waivers are Black, the regulations are effectively discriminatory. 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. % | Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. Beard News in Air Force Copyright 2022 Beard Waiver - All Rights Reserved. Kesh, or 'uncut hair' is one of the five religious requirements of baptized Sikhs. 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. The Sikh Coalition said the Air Force regulation closely resembles the Army's. 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. 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 . Previously, these airmen needed to get their waivers updated annually. 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 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. 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. 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. Sure, but how about competitive pay and benefits? 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). He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. Abdul Rahman Gaitain, an airman with the 821st. The Air Force has updated its grooming standards to formally allow Airmen to grow neatly trimmed beards, standardizing the religious or medical exemption process. Theres a lot of things that we learn from the past and our ancestry, and its just carrying on the line, really.. Air Force). In 2018, Staff Sgt. There could be more studies of this topic to come. Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Times as senior reporter in March 2021. Staff Sgt. But on July 18, the amn/nco/snco page posted a March 1 memo granting another Heathen airman, Staff Sgt. 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. Those encounters, along with studies like the one published last year, convinced Wright to change his position. | 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. The standards for growing a beard for medical reasons remain unchanged, the Air Force said. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? 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. It was approved in September, which means Singh will soon head to basic training. That study, which involved 798 airmen responding to emailed surveys, called for more research and data on the subject. 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. But advocates argue that more sweeping changes are needed, in part because shaving waivers are often misunderstood and hurt Airmen's careers. Theyre more like family members than they are divine beings, Sopchak said. 2 0 obj Tell me youre an A1C without telling me youre an A1C. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today. 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. The Air Force has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years. 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. 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.. It was more relatable.. Airman raises his head as flight surgeon chief of medical staff inspects his neck and face during a shaving waiver course at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., March 15, 2018. ;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 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 hammer of Thor, also known as Mjlnir, in 2013 was added to the list of religious symbols authorized to be engraved on gravestones at military cemeteries such as Arlington National Cemetery. Here are some active soldiers who have been allowed to keep their facial hair. The study authors found that the long wait for promotions applied to airmen of all races who had waivers. In December, the Air Force commissioned its first female Muslim chaplain . Meanwhile, about 76.83% of the no-waiver group was White. Caitlyn Smoyer). With regards to promotions, the wait grows longer the more time airmen have shaving waivers. 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 Air Force on Friday became the second branch of the U.S. military to approve the wearing of beards, turbans, hijabs, under-turbans/patkas, unshorn hair and other indoor/outdoor head coverings for religious reasons. Staff Sgt. 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.
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