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. Beard Religious Waivers in Air Force Norse Pagan, Sikh, Muslim and other Airmen have officially been granted religious waivers to wear beards. 1 0 obj Rather than delay his enlistment, Comer decided to shave his beard and apply for the accommodation at a later date. Heathens hold religious services rooted in Norse paganism aboard aircraft carrier, 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. *!+zu[XAoC_:X/0{ v8iAU}JqQ.u`6fE_GJTBh$Wx)Vpw#7~rDeI0r\!H(NW|/bcPRHBe0tEyXYD q{ 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. 19 July 2019. Beards cant exceed two inches if they do, they must be rolled and/or tied to achieve the required length, the regulations state. The DAF will remove adverse information from records of those currently serving service members who sought. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Staff Sgt. David Roza Staff Sgt. I have an approved religious accommodation and have gotten pretty knowledgeable on the process. The Air Force has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years. Published Feb 12, 2020 2:11 PM EST. In 2018, Staff Sgt. Kesh, or 'uncut hair' is one of the five religious requirements of baptized Sikhs. This is the first time the command has done so. Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Times as senior reporter in March 2021. 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. 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 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. Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel, Airman 1st Class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa. are divided over that study showing beard waivers hurt careers. endobj Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. 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. Correction: This story was updated at 6:53 p.m. to reflect correct information about religious waivers for beards. I can assure you that we are focused on our Airmen; they are the most competitive advantage we haveand we must get the people piece right.. Air Force Special Operations Command has made history by granting a religious accommodation waiver to a Sikh service member. 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. That study, which involved 798 airmen responding to emailed surveys, called for more research and data on the subject. 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. Heres how. Turbans and under-turbans have similar color and material requirements as the hijab. Theyre more like family members than they are divine beings, Sopchak said. 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. stream Rathour graduated Security Forces technical training on Sept. 26, 2019. Comer wore a beard with a religious accommodation waiver, but beards in the Air Force may become far more common after a uniform board considers facial hair in November. Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. 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. Chance Saltzman outlined the three lines in a series of commanders notes published Jan., Thousands of Airmen and Guardians who remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 no longer have to get the shotsand those whofaced disciplinary action for failing to get vaccinated will have their records wiped clean. Beards can also be seen as symbols of power, strength, and virility. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim. 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. So I am not some expert I just watch YouTube videos of the teachings of Islam. If they didnt have one, in some of the stories, they were actually ridiculed. David Roza As part of the process, an airman must describe the religious basis for and include a comment on the sincerity of the request. Dec. 26, 2022. "They were well-respected. And. 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. Others mused that more people would enlist if beards were allowed. Last year, Capt. 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. Guidelines for requesting a religious accommodation for a Heathen beard in the U.S. Air Force Published Jul 14, 2021 8:57 AM EDT. Under the new process, a commander has up to 30 days to approve an Airmans request for a waiver, and that the accommodation will generally follow the Airman through his or her career. 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. ), the Washington Post, and others. 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.. 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. 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. Theres a lot of comparables where Hey if females and women in the military just got their hair changed, how about beards? said Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass in April. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. 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. Since then, 21 Honor Guard airmen now have a pass to grow neatly-trimmed beards, according to Military.com. 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 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. In 2017, the U.S. Army officially updated its dress and appearance standards to accommodate hijabs, turbans and beards. 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. Her work has appeared in Air Force Magazine, Inside Defense, Inside Health Policy, the Frederick News-Post (Md. 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. The Air Force plans to update its Air Force Instruction regulations governing dress and personal appearance and medical care management to reflect this change. 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. It took Sopchak about 11 months to get his beard approved. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed the policy change. Ou5g(O5b5md8_ -+'.$Dvqx)YDTwXD`m_~G ArVT+`oo % 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. It must be free of designs or markings, except an airman wearing the Airman Battle Uniform or Operational Camouflage Pattern uniform can wear a matching camouflage hijab. 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). 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.. 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. The Air Force style authorities have spoken: neck and hand tattoos are in, beards are still out. In the stories, you could see even the gods themselves have flaws, Sopchak said. 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. It must also include a photo or description of the head covering, religious-affiliated item, grooming standard or personal appearance that is being requested. 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. There are many religious reasons why people might choose to grow a beard. The same was true for airmen trying to hit the rank of staff sergeant (E-5). One Facebook commenter questioned why the Air Force needs a separate pilot program when it could study those who already have shaving waivers. 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. Still, she called the policy clarification a great step forward.. There is no potential timeline for approval, because it isnt even at that stage, she said. According to a statement from the Air Force, Senior Airman Dominic Varriale was granted the turban waiver in 2020. Religious head coverings are also required to be free of designs or markings unless the individuals uniform has a camouflage pattern. Sopchak said he was originally raised Baptist, but has not been a Christian for a long time. There currently is no clear evidence showing that is the case, the study said. The 2021 study found that airmen with shaving waivers faced significantly longer wait times for promotions and were often barred from sought-after jobs such as Honor Guard, recruiting, military training instructors, or the Thunderbirds demonstration team. Something about what he found resonated, and Sopchak became a Norse Heathen. The waiver group also had a greater rate of disciplinary action compared to the no-waiver group (18.96% versus 11.45%). U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Isaac John, 423d Security Forces Squadron flight member, holds his position during a field training exercise at Stanford Training Area, England, Aug. 17, 2022. 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. The push to create a new Space National Guard got a major boost last week as a bipartisan team of Senators offered new legislationeven as the Pentagon works to craft details on a competing plan. 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 . The Sikh Coalition said the Air Force regulation closely resembles the Army's. 28, beards are generally allowed in the military "provided they are neatly trimmed, present a professional and well-groomed appearance, and are not excessive in bulk or length," with the caveat that beards may have to be removed for medical reasons or under orders from a superior. 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. This causes inflammation and a foreign body reaction, and over time, can result in scarring. Master Sgt. Staff Sgt. For AFR waiver processing instructions see AFMAN 368001, - Participation and Training Procedures. | 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. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. (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. Despite being in line with regulations, airmen with waivers reported feeling stigmatized for wearing facial hair. DAFI 52-201 is the governing regulation for religious accommodation. Action on Requests for Religious Accommodation that Require the Waiver of Department of the Air Force Regulations or Policies or Directives . Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. 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. Brown Jr. covered a broad range of topics with his additions to his Leadership Library in February. 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 . With regards to promotions, the wait grows longer the more time airmen have shaving waivers. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III formally rescinded the Pentagons vaccination requirement Jan. 10, as required by the 2023, SDA Taps Raytheon for Seven More Missile-Tracking Satellites, Photos: F-22s Deploy to Tinian for First Time as Part of ACE Exercise, In Message to Force, Austin Touts Once-in-a-Generation Investments, Heres What USAFs Science Board Is Studying Now, Were Weird: New Commander Details Life Inside Task Force 99, Air Force Separated 610 Airmen For Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine, Adverse Actions to Be Erased for Some Troops Who Sought Exemptions to COVID Vaccines, USAF Launches New Study of Cancer Risk in ICBM Crews, Senators Launch New Drive for Space National Guard, Heres What the CSAF Is Reading, Watching, and Listening To This Month, New Total Force Airforce.com Site Highlights Guard and Reserve Opportunities, Air Force ROTC Unveils Sweeping New Scholarship for Older Cadets, Saltzmans Priorities for Space Force: Three New Lines of Effort, New Rules for Vaccine Refusers After DOD Lifts Its COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate. The Air Force has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years. Friday's regulation formalizes such waivers into a multi-step review process. The new religious accommodation rules also cover unshorn beards and unshorn hair such as those worn by members of the Sikh faith under-turbans or patkas, and other indoor or outdoor head coverings. Seven months later, this reporter could not immediately find any such progress reports. For nearly a year, the Air Force weighed a staff sergeant's request to grow a beard as part of his religious beliefs before granting him a waiver, a decision that balanced personal liberty against military readiness, a Pentagon spokesman said. 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. That assessment, and ability to address and adjust, is critical to our force, and our people. William Bailey, a beard waiver. US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jackson Manske. 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. 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. 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. The research studied the effect of shaving waivers on the careers of active duty male airmen. . David Roza Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a religious accommodation beard waiver. Tim Chacon/Air National Guard. . 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. In an email to Task & Purpose, Bass said the Air Force is continually reevaluating its policies. It gradually worked its way up through the bureaucracy before ultimately being approved July 8 by Air Force personnel chief Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly. The new study found that airmen with shaving waivers faced significantly longer wait times for promotions and were often barred from sought-after jobs such as Honor Guard, recruiting, military training instructors, or the Thunderbirds demonstration team. The Brig. The advocacy group submitted a religious accommodation request for Singh in April 2019. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. Central figures in Norse mythology such as Odin and Thor are commonly depicted as wearing beards. 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. The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group which works on behalf of Sikhs and other religious minorities in the military, praised the new regulation. In 2018, Staff Sgt. But advocates argue that more sweeping changes are needed, in part because shaving waivers are often misunderstood and hurt Airmen's careers. 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. Isnt the whole point of religious freedom that people CANT do that? Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. 0. 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. Under certain conditions, commanding officers can order the removal of turbans or hijabs to keep service members safe, the regulations state for example, while someone is walking within 25 feet of an operating aircraft. Though. There's no more reliable source for news about your Air Force. The Air Force separated 610 Airmen for declining the once-mandated COVID-19 vaccination. But a little more than two years ago, Sopchak was seized by an overwhelming feeling that he needed to look further into these legends and the religion surrounding them. 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). 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. 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.. All told, Brown added two books, two podcasts, and a documentary, The Air Force now has a single website to manage all its recruiting needs, covering Active Duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve recruiting. By 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. of the Air Force Kaleth Wright, said in April on a panel discussion on male grooming standards in the Air Force. No Sikh American should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their career ambitions, said Giselle Klapper, Sikh Coalition Staff Attorney. 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. 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. Shaving Waiver stigma Air Force Medicine medical beard Al Dhafra . Market-leading rankings and editorial commentary - see the top law firms & lawyers for Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations) in United States Theres a lot of things that we learn from the past and our ancestry, and its just carrying on the line, really.. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? Abdul Rahman Gaitain, an airman with the 821st. 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. Would beards be nice? 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 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. 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. 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. 1st Class Benjamin . For ANG The same neat and conservative approach applies to beards, which must not exceed two inches when measured from the bottom of the chin, the regulations states. 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. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? Tell me youre an A1C without telling me youre an A1C. [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. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. And in February, the Air Force officially updated its regulations to formally allow airmen to request religious beard waivers. safety) or when precluded by a compelling (i.e., especially important) governmental and/or Air Force interest. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. 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. 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.