AR 670-1, the Army regulation on the wear and appearance of Army uniforms, states the following:
(2) Soldiers may wear religious headgear while in uniform if the headgear meets the following criteria.
(a) It must be subdued in color (black, brown, green, dark or navy blue, or a combination of these colors).
(b) It must be of a style and size that can be completely covered by standard military headgear, and it cannot
interfere with the proper wear or functioning of protective clothing or equipment.
(c) The headgear cannot bear any writing, symbols, or pictures.
(d) Personnel will not wear religious headgear in place of military headgear when military headgear is required
(outdoors, or indoors when required for duties or ceremonies).
The regulations also states that “personnel may not wear religious items if they do not meet the standards of this regulation, and requests for accommodation will not be entertained.” So, after reading the above REGULATION, what is wrong with this picture?
If requests for accommodation will not be entertained, why is the Army relaxing its standards and violating its own regulations on religious headgear?
I have no problem with the Sikh faith or any faith! But, it’s quite obvious that the military has some clear (or used to have) guidelines on appearance that don’t jive with the Sikh faith. Men are required to be clean shaven except in certain situations. Even in those situations, though, beards are required to be no longer than a quarter of an inch. So, could Muslim men now contend and demand that they should be allowed to have long beards? It would be an equal opportunity violation if it didn’t.
I understand the desire for one to join the military. I knew coming in that the Army did a lot of things contrary to my faith. For example, we strongly discourage working on Sundays, but the Army has required me to work many a Sunday. If I begin insisting that I don’t work on Sundays, what do you think the response would be? After all, I’m a Christian.
I think the Army has made a huge mistake bending the rules for TWO individuals. There is a reason the military has standards. The Army is not a faith-based organization, it’s a well-oiled combat machine! If your religious beliefs contradict with our doctrine, standards, and/or regulations I say find another job! In this economy, we aren’t hurting for people wanting to serve.
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>it’s quite obvious that the military has some clear (or used to have) guidelines on appearance that don’t jive with the Sikh faith.
I don’t think the allied forces had a problem with Sikh peoples’ appearance when 85,000 Sikhs were killed and 110,000 wounded in WWI and WWII.
I think you are being disingenuous when you compare Sikh mens’ beard and turban to a Christian working on a sunday or a Muslim wearing a beard. Only a small minority of Muslims believe keeping a beard is compulsory and I know like Roman Catholics for example are exempt from the working on sunday rule if its for law enforcement or military service. On the other hand, a beard and turban is an article of faith worn by many Sikhs. Another thing is this kid was told he could keep his beard and turban if he wanted to join.
Also whats with “if YOUR religious beliefs contradict OUR military then find another job?” Sikhs have served in the military since WWI and this kid was specifically recruited by the military and told he could join. The concerns about creating a seal with a gas mask are unfounded too, the Sikhs already in the military have shown they can create a seal.
I think your writing is a bit off base, I mean really? If someone wants to fight for our country I say let them serve!
Silence, so you are saying that if an Emo freak wants to serve, we should just allow them to wear their noserings, earplugs, spikes, etc? We have regulations, standards, and uniforms for a reason.
I didn’t talk about “emos freaks” in my comment.
You asked “If requests for accommodation will not be entertained, why is the Army relaxing its standards and violating its own regulations on religious headgear?” The army needs doctors and I think that its needs should come before anything else. The regulation that doesn’t allow Sikhs to wear turbans is relatively new anyway, Sikhs in the military during Vietnam for example wore turbans.
Basically I agree with you that the army has regulations, standards, and uniforms for a reason but this isn’t a radical exception. The army obviously deems it a necessary exception for TWO individuals to be allowed to wear their beards and turbans. They aren’t giving Sikhs preferential treatment, they made a necessary exception so the army has good doctors.
I know you didn’t. It’s called a comparison. The Army needs a lot of people – that meet the established standards. There is nothing “new” about the regulation. What you don’t understand is how the military works on standards, procedures and regulations. You can’t tell me that these two are the ONLY doctors in the world the Army can find.
They ARE giving them preferential treatment if they’re allowing them to violate uniform regulations that are quite clear (and quoted above).
What other reason would the army have for allowing him to wear a beard and turban if they didn’t absolutely need more doctors? The Sikh community in America isn’t influential outside of California, so there certainly isn’t a political angle to this.
The army has a severe lack of doctors so they made the decision to allow two exceptions.(quick google search about lqck of doctors)
*http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,105400,00.html
*http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2007/03/like_the_washin/
The army has regulations but it has bent them in the past to make sure they have enough troops and professionals and I don’t see this as any different.