The Pentagon has approved a new policy that will allow troops to wear turbans and other religious clothing and engage in religious observances.
Until now there has been no set policy in the military to allow accommodations for religion.
Soldiers must apply for a waiver to be able to wear their religious garment or engage in a specific religious activity, which the military says they will take on a case-by-case basis.
The Pentagon has approved a new policy that will allow troops to seek waivers to wear religious clothing, seek prayer time or engage in religious practices.Defense officials say the waivers will be decided on a case-by-case basis and will depend on where the service member is stationed and whether the change would affect military readiness or the mission.
Until now there has been no consistent policy across the military to allow accommodations for religion. Now, for example, Jewish troops can seek a waiver to wear a yarmulke, or Sikhs can seek waivers to wear a turban and grow a beard.
Others can request specific prayer times or ask that they be allowed to carry prayer beads or other items.
The policy also says that service members can choose not to recognize any religion, according to NBC News.
According to Defense Department statistics obtained by NBC, there are only three Sikh Americans in the military. There are about 3,700 Muslims. 6,300 Buddhists, and 1,500 Wiccans.
The directive stresses that “the importance of uniformity and adhering to standards, of putting unit before self, is more significant and needs to be carefully evaluated when considering each request for accommodation,” according to NBC.
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They said you can Not have a cross because it might offiend some one.
thats right its bull$#%&!@*
What. The. $#%&!@*. Atleast it makes it easier to figure out who should be on the front line.
Everybody should look the same. If they want to do that or wear that stuff they can either do it off duty or get the hell out!
For Christians too, right????
Bull$#%&!@* the troops need to start killing these punks in my opinion make them so they don’t exist
but they don’t allow crosses- of Christians to pray out in the open only muslims- and they don’t allow Christians to talk or to read the bible out loud or have it in plain site or pass out bibles- this is all one sided – who is this America the pentagon that is now Oba,as atheist Gay buddies doing to our country—we have to take it back kick out all the gay atheist l;iberial Democrats even atheist liberial repubs also out of the houses and federal judges out- take back our God Fearing Country —stand up America—-
It’s gotten to the point where it’s not religious/cultural equality. It’s anti-western. Apparently that’s acceptable. We respect others so much that we feel we are obligated hate ourselves & strip ourselves of our own cultural/ religious beliefs and practices to cater others. The world is so $#%&!@*ed up these days. If they come here, they play by OUR rules, we don’t play by theirs. Mother $#%&!@*ers if you dont like it go the $#%&!@* home.
I don”t like that rule, If they want to be american soldiers they should follow the dress code. Why do they want to look different is it because if we have to fight the muslims they will not get shot.