It gradually worked its way up through the bureaucracy before ultimately being approved July 8 by Air Force personnel chief Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly. Later, every religious trend sought and found the hadiths that justified its principles. Airmen can use styling products on their beards, but petroleum-based products are not allowed while wearing a protective mask. For a long time, the old Norse mythology of Odin, Thor and Ragnark was just that for Staff Sgt. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. If they didnt have one, in some of the stories, they were actually ridiculed. Heres how. In 2018, Staff Sgt. It also outlines the process to request these exemptions, sets timelines for management to respond, and ensures that the approvals will follow someone throughout his or her career in the Air Force. However, given the most recent research; shaving waivers could play a role in racial disparity in terms of promotions. So far, the Air Force has banned beards for all except those who have five-year medical waivers for pseudofolliculitis barbae, or chronic razor bumps, or religious waivers for those for whom beards are central to their observance, like Sikhs, Jews, Muslims and Norse Heathens. By The Air Force in recent years has begun granting waivers to allow airmen including airmen of the Muslim, Sikh and Norse Heathen or pagan faiths to grow beards for religious reasons. 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. stream This new study shows that changing beard regulations may actually be a need, rather than a want, because the current policy essentially discriminates against Black airmen. Beard News in Air Force Copyright 2022 Beard Waiver - All Rights Reserved. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. A member of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has received the first-ever religious-related waiver, allowing him to wear a turban and keep a beard. 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. It is unclear how many Norse pagans, Heathen, or Asatru followers are in the military, but they have become increasingly visible in recent years. 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. | Since then, 21 Honor Guard airmen now have a pass to grow neatly-trimmed beards, according to Military.com. Service spokesperson Ann Stefanek said the proposal is under discussion by the Black/African American Employment Strategy Team, but hasnt been approved. W2~@R>tA);|6[ +XnDnQi\k`LF. Air Force Officially OKs Beards, Turbans, Hijabs for Religious Reasons . The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group that has pushed for changes to the Air Forces dress and appearance policy, commended the move. 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. Still, she called the policy clarification a great step forward.. It also specifically looked at the time it took airmen with shaving waivers to get promoted relative to airmen without waivers, and whether that association led to racial bias. 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. 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. other similar condition s that prohibits regular facial shaving may requ est a waiver to wear a beard . Kuzminski said it makes the Air Force and Space Force the first branches to look at a facial hair pilot program not tied to a religious or medical waiver, which would help normalize facial hair . such as an exemption uniform policy; the from a purchase of suitable, alternative personal protective . We dont have to hire RAND or Booz Allen Hamilton to do it, but the Air Force needs to want it to happen, he said at the time. 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. 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The Air Force encourages religious freedoms of service members as one of four pillars of resiliency to help build and sustain a strong and healthy workplace and community. The study would require only 100 to 150 service members, he said. For ANG 1 comment. Others mused that more people would enlist if beards were allowed. The Sikh Coalition said the Air Force regulation closely resembles the Army's. The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group which works on behalf of Sikhs and other religious minorities in the military, praised the new regulation. [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. In December, the Air Force commissioned its first female Muslim chaplain . &w\=xi~Wh^iz`b=)!]T;iMC.OXm(+N*uHe{5"@"o$n*uQI'JHyLij%O&Q3 .\nOemNKW2j2ttYK9sll?hyA/fQ/lF\ pVyH0qd~T#o[Bpi*In=mS hU f[6rx~ 8;GO yNb4.A`t`Wj (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Published Feb 12, 2020 2:11 PM EST. ;NNB6 j~X3E]4]euu((m#/S>c9K71,E304a;97la@Ejrf-o eP9_$)'"?#EO!orCi=5P@C5TmJY;^qzU/nWXvvRH~]/C >K)a2MuOzZ.VsDNOr%rZR[TINcCPBi!U;$TXA9%9;?&>k37{X]sa`p3Wc1^CKtjBrx\5uI3 But on July 18, the amn/nco/snco page posted a March 1 memo granting another Heathen airman, Staff Sgt. In 2018, Staff Sgt. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. The Air Force also granted its first religious accommodation beard waiver, to a Muslim airman, in 2018. Its unclear how many people currently use shaving waivers. 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. The United States military continues to bend its strict grooming rules to appease Muslims, most recently allowing an Air Force sergeant to sport a beard for religious reasons. The new findings build off a preliminary study published in December which said that shaving waivers had negatively affected the careers of many airmen, especially those of color. We are working to take away the stigma attached to airmen who have a medical need or a religious accommodation for facial hair. No Sikh American should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their career ambitions, Klapper said in a statement Wednesday. I can answer the questions, so it is not really a problem but how is that even legal? 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. Would beards be nice? According to the regulation, turbans, hijabs, under-turbans or other headwear must be plain, dark blue, black, and free of designs or markings except when matching with the airman's camouflage uniform. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. 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. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. When requests are precluded by military necessity, commanders and supervisors should seek reasonable alternatives.. Though. Gen. Charles A. McGee Leadership Award, named after the legendary Tuskegee Airman, will give either $18,000 per year, The Space Forces new leader has definedthree lines of effort he wants the young service to pursue, focusing on combat-ready forces, personnel management, and partnerships with other Pentagon organizations and allies. 19 July 2019. are divided over that study showing beard waivers hurt careers. Beards are generally frowned upon because of the U.S. militarys longstanding tradition of uniformity and attention to detail as well as concerns that certain gear, like gas masks, wouldnt tightly seal with hair in the way. Directly before me was one of the mirrors I have mentioned, in which I saw reflected the tall shape of my friend, Mr. Jennings, leaning over my shoulder, and reading the page at which I was busy, and with a face so dark and wild that I . (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. ~pkgEsHh,1%l|hJ The research studied the effect of shaving waivers on the careers of active duty male airmen. There currently is no clear evidence showing that is the case, the study said. The new AFI formally allows requests for waivers, and for neat and conservative beards that present a professional appearance. 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). Get your daily fix of Air Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. 1st Class Benjamin . Still, it seems the Honor Guard has not completely embraced shaving waivers. There could be more studies of this topic to come. Hijabs, turbans and under-turbans (also known as patkas) should be free of designs and made of a subdued material in a color that closely resembles ones uniform. The airmans unit commander would then decide whether to endorse the request. Its a little scraggly right now, Sopchak said. 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This causes inflammation and a foreign body reaction, and over time, can result in scarring. I am grateful to hear of this policy change, because it codifies in writing what I already know: The U.S. Air Force values the service and contribution of religious minorities like me, Singh said in a statement provided by the group. On Monday, Captain Toor and three other Sikhs sued the Marine Corps in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, saying the corps's refusal to grant a religious waiver is arbitrary and. 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. Action on Requests for Religious Accommodation that Require the Waiver of Department of the Air Force Regulations or Policies or Directives . ooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. The real challenge is how do you change the culture, not just in the Air Force but in the services period.. Beards could be two months away in the Air Force. 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. Sure, but how about competitive pay and benefits? The hammer of Thor, also known as Mjlnir, in 2013 was added to the list of religious symbols authorized to be engraved on gravestones at military cemeteries such as Arlington National Cemetery. Something about what he found resonated, and Sopchak became a Norse Heathen. The U. S. Air Force has published new guidance for religious accommodations that allow airmen to wear beards, turbans and hijabs. Sounds like you might want to talk to your local chaplain team. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. A California-based airman has become the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver after a 2014 policy. And in June, a Sikh airman received approval to wear a beard and turban. I cant tell you how many hundreds of times, probably thousands, that weve gotten [that] question. Sopchak said that something about the Heathen religion felt more real to him. And at least two airmen who follow the Norse Heathen, or pagan, faiths have been granted permission to wear a beard. The Army granted a similar waiver last year, and beard exemptions have been granted for a growing number of Sikhs and Muslims . There are conflicting published reports from the civilian sector with regard to the impact of facial hair on P2/N95 [face masks] fit testing, and none that we are aware of evaluating facial hair impact on military gas mask fit. the authors wrote. If substantiated, then the benefits of the grooming standards, as defined in Air Force Instruction 36-2903, should be re-evaluated in the context of these findings, they wrote. 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. 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. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. 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Seven months later, this reporter could not immediately find any such progress reports. At the end of the day, while we are continually out in front with initiatives that provide more opportunities for our airmen to serve to their full potential, we are cognizant that we are part of a broader military force.. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim. The US Air Force has updated its dress code policy to outline a clear approval process for Sikhs and Muslims who want to serve while wearing their articles of faith. USAF photo by Alexander Goad. So I am not some expert I just watch YouTube videos of the teachings of Islam. 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. Chief Bass comment demonstrates her commitment to changing the culture, and there seems to be some progress already. That was followed up by more leaked slides in October which promised that an updated facial hair standard would be considered at a November meeting of the Air Force Uniform Board, Coffee or Die Magazine reported. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? Paragraph 1.5.2 changed to read: Submitting Requests for Religious, Gender , or Medical Waivers. This is the first time the command has done so. Religious exemptions to the rule allow for beards up to 2 inches long. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. t7be,2/gQ u7|O;(?lKHfm'*g' I{C That study, which involved 798 airmen responding to emailed surveys, called for more research and data on the subject. Garrett Sopchak, a 28-year-old aerospace . Contact the author here. The problem is how to convince the rest of the Air Force to follow suit. David Roza 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 U.S. Air Force granted its first religious waivers to the military-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate this week. Last year, Capt. See Beard News in Air Force for more information. It is is up to the wing commander (or the unit's equivalent of such a commander) to make the final decision. The religious accommodation process isn't designed for individuals to play the God/conscience card to get around things they don't like. The Air Force plans to update its Air Force Instruction regulations governing dress and personal appearance and medical care management to reflect this change. It must also include a photo or description of the head covering, religious-affiliated item, grooming standard or personal appearance that is being requested. Dec. 26, 2022. The Air Force in recent years has begun granting waivers to allow airmen including airmen of the Muslim, Sikh and Norse Heathen or pagan faiths to grow beards for religious reasons. According to the Department of Defense Instruction 1300. But if they deny a religious accommodation request, it will go up to the Air Force headquarters manpower, personnel and services directorate, Air Force reserve or the Air National Guard for a final review and decision. The new version of the service's dress and appearance standards policy allows tattoos up to 1 . But so far, the call for beards seems to fall on deaf ears. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. The Air Force on Friday became the second branch of the U.S. military to approve the wearing of beards, turbans, hijabs, under-turbans/patkas, unshorn hair and other indoor/outdoor head coverings for religious reasons. %PDF-1.5 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. Friday's regulation formalizes such waivers into a multi-step review process. [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 a recent Air Force study. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. If youre willing to learn, we are willing to teach.. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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. 8[/6&ip1~E5\h|#_W7AO2#+S_*wQ2I1jg!zx 6FTUqepk9v i*z]D@s;3c~52YJSR04P_dZgLA-Xh YWX,&"qp6bY ?HD]SL%d9n4%;uwR"d"4X 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. In an email to Task & Purpose, Bass said the Air Force is continually reevaluating its policies. This is an update to AFI 36-2903, "Dress and personal appearance of Air Force Personnel," and it will allow the headdress to be worn provided it is "neat and conservative" and that the airmen present a professional . US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jackson Manske. One civilian study from 2018 showed that 98% of study participants with an eighth-inch of beard passed the fit test with respirators that are similar to the M-50 gas masks used in the military in terms of material and fit. <> 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. The hot towels help stimulate the skin to bring out any oils and sweat that can be used for a lubrication layer between the skin and the razor. The AFI allows the Air Force to deny a request for a waiver only if it furthers a compelling government interest., Groups such as the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Sikh Coalition, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced their support for the decision, with CAIR saying Feb. 12 it is a step toward religious accommodation and inclusion for military personnel of all faiths., No Sikh American should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their career ambitions, Giselle Klapper, a Sikh Coalition staff attorney, said in a release. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. As described in sample memos included in the regulation, safety concerns might include wearing a gas mask or going within 25 feet of an operating aircraft. It took Sopchak about 11 months to get his beard approved. The waivers remain in effect even when the airman is deployed or has a permanent change-of-station move, the Air Force said in the release. The majority of the waiver group was Black (64.18%), despite that group making up only 12.85% of the cohort. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States which has helped more than 20 Sikh Americans serve in the military, applauded the changes. There is no potential timeline for approval, because it isnt even at that stage, she said. The Air Force also granted its first religious accommodation beard waiver, to a Muslim airman, in 2018. >_fn7dw)>S#a\7]zdWwgsZMA2!2/af>]]I+ .$sMOr])0`F\>-vxX|K h%&ZG2xI%#}pxg@;%rE*q"TY(kfIeWgh&*$|- F'$_L2;&"bw.%i^XxzS\'Z+gQI,=b6)J|Se{Sl)xog`7^}T# N7 x+|B7 DAFI52-201 23 JUNE 2021 5 Written request for accommodation received by Isnt the whole point of religious freedom that people CANT do that? Eugene Oliver/U.S. endobj Wright, who is Black, said he resolved his own shaving irritation by learning how to shave in a way that would not irritate his skin, so he assumed other airmen would be able to resolve their irritation the same way. If you saw a man that had a beard, you could almost guarantee that they were a good person, that you could go to them for help," Sopchak said. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed the policy change. The DAF will remove adverse information from records of those currently serving service members who sought. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. He also hopes to grow the Heathen community in the area around Hill. 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. In December, Military.com reported that the Air Force Honor Guard changed its policy in April to allow airmen with shaving waivers to apply and join the guard. Rathour graduated Security Forces technical training on Sept. 26, 2019. Thousands of American Muslims and members of other minority faiths serve in our nations military and should be able to practice their faith while serving, CAIRs spokesperson Ibrahim Hooper said in a statement. 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. 2 0 obj For example, it took airmen with eight or more years with a waiver about a year longer on average to get promoted to the rank of technical sergeant (E-6) compared to airmen who had a waiver for just a year or two. Beard hair longer than two inches must be rolled and/or tied to achieve the required length. Airmen assigned to units wearing a beret of any color may wear an appropriately-colored head covering as directed by the unit commander, one sample memo explains. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass, wants to reduce the branchs cultural bias against shaving waivers granted for medical or religious reasons. Sens. Singh said that he believes the Air Forces policy update will make it easier for Sikh Americans to serve while maintaining their articles of faith. Such a request for an exemption to a military policy can only be denied, the AFI change said, if the policy furthers a compelling government interest and is the least restrictive way of furthering that interest. (In heathen lore . As we work to build a more inclusive force, we are constantly assessing and evaluating all of the processes and programs that affect our Airmen, she said. Shaving waivers can hold back an airman's career, and since most airmen with waivers are Black, the regulations are effectively discriminatory.