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.
This is so wrong, uniforms mean just that, uniformity among the troops. No beards, no turbans, no kilts, no yarmulkas, get real people, what next prayer rugs and no fighting on shabbos or Sundays.
Lynn Earhart, they are not going to be on the front lines because the Sikh religion precludes them from combat. They commissioned as officers to be Doctors and Engineers. It will be very rare for them to need helmets but, if they had to wear them, they have Helmets large enough to fit over their turbans.
Is our army already devoid of American fighting men?
They after guys reading religious books on their after duty hours now and these are our Christians and Jews. ONTHEIR own time
This wrong!
All you have to do is use google. It’s free and it can be accessed on your phone.
Or read from the official source instead of a Facebook group posting bull$#%&!@*. http://www.army.mil/article/36339/sikh-soldiers-allowed-to-serve-retain-their-articles-of-faith/
This is freakin’ bullcrap man. One of the things that make a strong military is discipline, and that each man is the same, There is no room for idividualism in the military……Period!
WTF
what about Christians