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Personnel Division," to all sign off . In March 2021, after Comer arrived at Maxwell Air Force Base, he started talking to his first sergeant about applying for a religious accommodation to obtain a beard waiver. The push to create a new Space National Guard got a major boost last week as a bipartisan team of Senators offered new legislationeven as the Pentagon works to craft details on a competing plan. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group that has pushed for changes to the Air Forces dress and appearance policy, commended the move. I had opportunities to hire all kinds of folks and I was adamant about not hiring somebody with a shaving waiver, just because I fell into that category of this is Air Force policy, its not professional, he said. In addition to believing in the old Norse gods, he said, Heathens believe that they are descended from them. The Nevada Army Guard said that Sgt. Of them, 40 Airmen voluntarily left the service and 14 officers retired, according to Undersecretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones at a House Armed Services Committee hearing Feb. 28. Last year, Capt. Sorry airmen, you're not getting beards without a medical or religious waiver anytime soon, as Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles 'CQ' Brown and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force . The Hammer of Thor is available to be placed on government headstones and markers in the United States. The Sikh Coalition said the Air Force regulation closely resembles the Army's. In the words of the Hungarian scholar Goldziher, 'The history of religion . It is is up to the wing commander (or the unit's equivalent of such a commander) to make the final decision. However, most airmen who have waivers are Black, because they are more likely to be affected by pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) than White airmen. Wright said he was opposed to facial hair in the Air Force for 29 of his 32 years in service. The updated policy requires religious apparel to be neat and conservative and not impede an individuals ability to perform assigned military duties or wear protective equipment. In 2018, Staff Sgt. 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. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. 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. A federal judge Thursday temporarily blocked the Air Force from penalizing a group of service members who are seeking a religious exemption to otherwise mandatory Covid-19 vaccination, in. He also consulted with The Asatru Community, a nonprofit group that advocates for followers of Norse pagan religions. There are many religious reasons why people might choose to grow a beard. The advocacy group submitted a religious accommodation request for Singh in April 2019. Published Jul 14, 2021 8:57 AM EDT. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? Something about what he found resonated, and Sopchak became a Norse Heathen. 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. Giselle Klapper, a Sikh Coalition staff attorney, said her group has long been seeking a blanket proclamation that all Sikh Americans who wear turbans and beards as part of their faith can serve in every branch of the military without seeking individual accommodations. Sopchak said he was originally raised Baptist, but has not been a Christian for a long time. William Bailey, a beard waiver. The religious accommodation process isn't designed for individuals to play the God/conscience card to get around things they don't like. According to an Air Force press . The interviewing chaplain will then send the wing chaplain a memo on whether the airman has a sincerely-held belief, whether the accommodation is related to that belief, and how the Air Force policy places a burden on that belief. 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. It is unclear how many Norse pagans, Heathen, or Asatru followers are in the military, but they have become increasingly visible in recent years. Others mused that more people would enlist if beards were allowed. Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. The conventional view of facial hair is that it looks unprofessional in uniform. Currently serving Airmen and Guardians who sought exemptions from the Pentagon's COVID-19 vaccine mandate will see those actions reversed and records erased, a new memo from Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall states. The Air Force is committed to continuing to remove barriers that prevent airmen from applying for, and being accepted into, career broadening opportunities, Bass said in a statement sent to Task & Purpose. One Facebook commenter questioned why the Air Force needs a separate pilot program when it could study those who already have shaving waivers. By approaching recruiting centrally as a Total Force, Air Force Recruiting, The Air Force last week announced an expansive new ROTC scholarship available to older Cadets committed to commissioning, with the goal of recruiting and retaining more future Airmen in the program. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. 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. Many Asatruars and other heathens think it's wrong for heathens to use this exemption because heathens don't have the kind of religion in which our gods require all their followers to follow commandments in order to achieve a proper afterlife. 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. United States Air Force members who refused to take the COVID vaccine for religious reasons will soon get a reprieve from the punitive actions the military took against them.. Though some white supremacist groups in recent years have co-opted Norse symbols such as runes, Sopchak rejected that and said his faith is not racist in any way. Chapter IV - Four Eyes Were Reading the Passage I was running the head of my pencil-case along the line as I read it, and something caused me to raise my eyes. The NATO allies who allow their service members to grow beards also do not have studies showing the impact of facial hair on gas masks, Ritchie said. 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. Sens. There currently is no clear evidence showing that is the case, the study said. 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. The group is one of the Air Forces volunteer teams that considers ways to make policies more equitable for all airmen. Airmen can use styling products on their beards, but petroleum-based products are not allowed while wearing a protective mask. Contact the author here. While the study did not list an exact difference in promotion times between airmen with and without waivers, it did say with mathematical certainty that shaving waivers as a whole were associated with a significantly longer time to promotion compared to the no-waiver group.. Start with the chaplain, and work with them to route the request through your chain. The idea would let participating airmen sport well-kept beards no longer than one-quarter inch, Military.com first reported Monday. Guidelines for requesting a religious accommodation for a Heathen beard in the U.S. Air Force We recommend further study of gas mask and respirator fit testing with facial hair in the military population to clarify this.. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. He joined Task & Purpose in 2019, after covering local news in Maine and FDA policy in Washington D.C. David loves hearing the stories of individual airmen and their families and sharing the human side of Americas most tech-heavy military branch. 173rd Fighter Wing Airmen may begin taking advantage of new uniform regulations allowing religious exemptions such as beards, hijabs, and turbans while in uniform. The Sikh Coalition represents Airman 1st Class Gurchetan Singh, who is the first Sikh American to secure a religious accommodation to serve in the Air National Guard. In 2018, Staff Sgt. A California-based airman has become the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver after a 2014 policy. Airman becomes the first Muslim to be granted service's beard waiver for observing religion By Jon Simkins Nov 20, 2018 Air Force Staff Sgt. Sikhs have served honorably and capably in the U.S. Armed Forces and other militaries around the world, and while we are eager for a blanket proclamation that all observant Sikh Americans can serve in every branch of the military without seeking accommodations, this policy clarification is a great step forward towards ensuring equality of opportunity and religious freedom in the Air Force.. Chief Bass comment demonstrates her commitment to changing the culture, and there seems to be some progress already. The same was true for airmen trying to hit the rank of staff sergeant (E-5). Beard News in Air Force Copyright 2022 Beard Waiver - All Rights Reserved. Requests should normally be recommended for approval unless approval would have an adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, standards or discipline, the regulation said. Sikhs have served honorably and capably in the U.S. Armed Forces and other militaries around the world, and while we are eager for a blanket proclamation that all observant Sikh Americans can serve in every branch of the military without seeking accommodations, this policy clarification is a great step forward towards ensuring equality of opportunity and religious freedom in the Air Force.. Published Dec 21, 2022 5:12 PM EST. | Black/African American Employment Strategy Team, Department of the Air Force Barrier Analysis Working Group, How the Navy's beard policy discriminates against Black sailors, Shaving waivers disproportionately affect Black airmen, delay promotions, Racist text spurs Air Force investigation into alleged squadron job discrimination, Women in the military: Moving beyond firsts, Veterans Affairs drops mask requirement for all agency medical offices, Officials OK some hand and neck tattoos for airmen, Guardians, Perennial pilot shortage puts Air Force in precarious position, Healthy eating on a budget for busy military spouses, Tax scams How to report them Money Minute, Capitol Hill weighs action on two controversial topics: medical marijuana and abortion, Lockheed wins hypersonics contract | Defense Dollars, Go inside a secret nuclear fallout bunker sealed for decades, Another Air Force fleet grounded over fears plane tails may fall off, Pentagon orders engine vibration fix for entire F-35 fleet worldwide, Minot firings due to failed nuclear safety inspection, Air Force advisers study use of satellites for tracking moving targets. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. And if that airman is assigned to a unit that wears a beret of a particular color, the unit commander can order him to wear a turban of the same color. The Air Force has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years. <> This is a volunteers proposal.. 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. Many airmens dearest wish may soon come true if the Air Force greenlights a pilot program allowing some men to grow beards. Religious beards in the military were allowed in 2017. The religious beard exemption in the US army was created for the benefit of Sikhs. 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. The Air Force, citing privacy concerns, declined to identify how many airmen have obtained waivers based on religious exemptions but said the publicity surrounding approvals in recent years has . Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a religious accommodation beard waiver. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. The majority of the waiver group was Black (64.18%), despite that group making up only 12.85% of the cohort. A highly visible sign of changing Air Force policy may soon be evident here at Kingsley Field, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. DAFI52-201 23 JUNE 2021 5 Written request for accommodation received by 28, beards are generally allowed in the military "provided they are neatly trimmed, present a professional and well-groomed appearance, and are not excessive in bulk or length," with the caveat that beards may have to be removed for medical reasons or under orders from a superior. Staff Sgt. Staff Sgt. The regulation formalizes a waiver process for future airmen seeking to wear turbans, hijab or beards, By W2~@R>tA);|6[ +XnDnQi\k`LF. The studys findings are particularly significant because they come at a time when the Air Force is reckoning with racial disparities in the service overall.