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
Good By American Military !!! Please wake up America !!!
Steven r Horton you just go ahead and keep those blinders on
Yup, our troops can’t have bibles, openly pray or have crosses but every other religion can “express” themselves. What a crock.
$#%&!@* that
Are you kidding me? What is going on with our military? this fraud in the white house has destroyed the very fabric of our nation and he has really attacked our military. It is time something is done before they take it any further. I pray that he is removed from office soon
During my 30 years as a miitary wife…that has been the policy right along. The non-military public or the short stay former military have just not been aware of it.
The Pentagon should also allow the president to wear turban too!
Double-standards abound!
Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (SW/AW) Jessica Sims is being threatened with dishonorable discharge for wearing her natural hair close to her head in braids. http://www.armytimes.com/article/20140808/NEWS07/308080078/Navy-reconsiders-booting-corpsman-over-hairstyle
A full military uniform didn’t stop Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan from killing 13 and wounding more than 30 others at Fort Hood. His religion dictated his allegiance in spite of wearing the U.S. military uniform.
Now this crops up again where the military is considering bending or even changing the rules to appease one religious sect. This brings up “separation of church and state” doesn’t it???
You can’t have it both ways, military. You can’t bend rules for one group, then threaten another group with dishonorable discharge because you won’t bend the rules for them.
Either every soldier follows the exact same rules to the letter, or no one does.
And soon all will be wearing turbans.