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.
Nice now I can start going a beard and look like general lee
This is so the Muslims can identify each other when martial law is enacted.
the pentagon has lost it`s mind , don’t let these people in the military in the firet place
man im glad im no longer in the ARMY
looks like the word uniform is gone when it comes to our military!
You have got to be $#%&!@*ting WTF is going on in this country. SAVE AMERICA
soon they will be issuing goats to them
The military needs to stay the way it is, we have religious freedom in this country and they are free to pray to whoever they want. The Military is a job not a church or Temple.
Watch out for friendly fire.
So, Christians can read the Bible and pray while in the army, I was assume!! It seems there is some discrimination against Christians going on in the Army!!