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HbMc#!6d~\@sQfe_Mp X_T1ew,`CC _O3b eTBo~&aM(AL?z[vEIYf~;LI>*H~BL 3v3!2/)mC*f3d]UL!'7*^LtPNl2"8}Vo=N@&.&|Ye. The new study found that airmen with shaving waivers faced significantly longer wait times for promotions and were often barred from sought-after jobs such as Honor Guard, recruiting, military training instructors, or the Thunderbirds demonstration team. You will have a meeting with the Chaplain where they ask you questions to determine if you have a sincerely held belief that you shouldn't shave. are divided over that study showing beard waivers hurt careers. It gradually worked its way up through the bureaucracy before ultimately being approved July 8 by Air Force personnel chief Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Air & Space Forces Magazine is the official publication of the Air & Space Forces Association, 1501 Langston Boulevard, Arlington, Va., 22209-1198. <>/ExtGState<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/Annots[ 13 0 R 16 0 R] /MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> 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 . 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. Kesh, or 'uncut hair' is one of the five religious requirements of baptized Sikhs. "Sikhs are allowed to wear beards and turbans because it actually is a religious requirement of their faith that they do so. The Nevada Army Guard said that Sgt. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Still, it seems the Honor Guard has not completely embraced shaving waivers. 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 majority of the waiver group was Black (64.18%), despite that group making up only 12.85% of the cohort. Wing commanders or other leaders at major commands, numbered air forces or other organizations will then approve or deny such a request. 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. +BEeB5JiTx Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? Air Force Officially OKs Beards, Turbans, Hijabs for Religious Reasons . We dont believe that theres a superior race, Sopchak said. William Bailey, a beard waiver. Also in 2019, Airman 1st Class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa became the first Sikh airman to receive an accommodation for a turban, beard and unshorn hair, and two Norse Heathen airmen were also allowed to grow beards. Its kind of a big thing, culturally.. Market-leading rankings and editorial commentary - see the top law firms & lawyers for Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations) in United States This is a volunteers proposal.. Sopchak said he was originally raised Baptist, but has not been a Christian for a long time. 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 . That assessment, and ability to address and adjust, is critical to our force, and our people. . 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. 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. 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. Beards can also be seen as symbols of power, strength, and virility. Though. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Air Force Global Strike Command is launching a new study of cancer risks among Airmen and Guardians who worked near intercontinental ballistic missiles and is developing new resources for current and former service members and their families. The real challenge is how do you change the culture, not just in the Air Force but in the services period.. The Hammer of Thor is available to be placed on government headstones and markers in the United States. As part of the process, an airman must describe the religious basis for and include a comment on the sincerity of the request. 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. (U.S. Air Force) Airmen will be allowed to wear up to. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. No Sikh American should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their career ambitions, Klapper said in a statement Wednesday. In December, The Air Force released a sweeping review which found that Black service members are disproportionately punished and promoted more slowly when compared to their White peers. 3 0 obj The Coalition said both changes were influenced by a years-long advocacy and litigation campaign by the Coalition and its pro bono co-counsel at McDermott Will & Emery. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. According to an Air Force press . The airmans unit commander would then decide whether to endorse the request. 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. 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. 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. 3.1.2.3.1. A chaplain must then interview the requesting airman and submit a recommendation to the wing chaplain (or the unit's equivalent of a wing chaplain). 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. For AFR waiver processing instructions see AFMAN 36-8001, Participation and Training Procedures. Sens. 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. Beards cant exceed two inches if they do, they must be rolled and/or tied to achieve the required length, the regulations state. There is no potential timeline for approval, because it isnt even at that stage, she said. The regulation formalizes a waiver process for future airmen seeking to wear turbans, hijab or beards, By Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? 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. Staff Sgt. The Air Force style authorities have spoken: neck and hand tattoos are in, beards are still out. That matches the length allowed for people who are medically exempt from the requirement to be clean-shaven. Many airmen on social media called for abandoning the beard prohibition altogether. Would beards be nice? The Air Force is first in many things, but in this case the branch came in second to the Army, which in 2017 became the first military branch to grant religious exemptions for beards, turbans. In the words of the Hungarian scholar Goldziher, 'The history of religion . Despite being in line with regulations, airmen with waivers reported feeling stigmatized for wearing facial hair. 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. 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. Meanwhile, about 76.83% of the no-waiver group was White. Air Force). Central figures in Norse mythology such as Odin and Thor are commonly depicted as wearing beards. [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. Action on Requests for Religious Accommodation that Require the Waiver of Department of the Air Force Regulations or Policies or Directives . Guidelines for requesting a religious accommodation for a Heathen beard in the U.S. Air Force Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today. Published Feb 12, 2020 2:11 PM EST. Less of having to work with skeleton crews, he said. In 2017, the U.S. Army officially updated its dress and appearance standards to accommodate hijabs, turbans and beards. Shaving Waiver stigma Air Force Medicine medical beard Al Dhafra . There's no more reliable source for news about your Air Force. Hopper's exemption is the latest example of the military's effort most notably the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force to acknowledge the diverse religious practices represented in its ranks. A highly visible sign of changing Air Force policy may soon be evident here at Kingsley Field, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. 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 recommend further study of gas mask and respirator fit testing with facial hair in the military population to clarify this.. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. % (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. DAFI 52-201 is the governing regulation for religious accommodation. Sopchak said that something about the Heathen religion felt more real to him. stream While these issues affected airmen of all races who had shaving waivers equally, Black or African-American airmen made up the majority of the waiver holders and thus bore a disproportionate share of the consequences. 1 comment. Changing policy, actually is the easy part, Wright said. Chance Saltzman outlined the three lines in a series of commanders notes published Jan., Thousands of Airmen and Guardians who remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 no longer have to get the shotsand those whofaced disciplinary action for failing to get vaccinated will have their records wiped clean. 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. In a Tuesday update of the Department of the Air Force's COVID-19 response, the service announced it had approved nine religious accommodations, including eight through service members' major and field commands and one through a Department of the Air Force appeal. DAF COVID-19 Statistics - January 2022. David Roza The Air Force also granted its first religious accommodation beard waiver, to a Muslim airman, in 2018. The waiver group also had a greater rate of disciplinary action compared to the no-waiver group (18.96% versus 11.45%). But a little more than two years ago, Sopchak was seized by an overwhelming feeling that he needed to look further into these legends and the religion surrounding them. Isnt the whole point of religious freedom that people CANT do that? 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. 3.1.2.3.1. Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. 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. The U.S. Air Force issued new guidelines on Friday giving members who wear religious apparel a way to serve the country without compromising their faith. The religious beard exemption in the US army was created for the benefit of Sikhs. dx xE28;eN0ORG*sMhw_2iL!o@/dUKS0sD~-dd!7r.7ucOjP0GH#_&F%)wr-' Some pagans might choose to grow a beard in order to express their religious identity or beliefs. We are working to take away the stigma attached to airmen who have a medical need or a religious accommodation for facial hair, Bass wrote in a comment on her Facebook page on Tuesday. 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. Accommodation of Religious Practices in the Air Force. ", By Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? (In heathen lore . Airmen can use styling products on their beards, but petroleum-based products are not allowed while wearing a protective mask. 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. "They were well-respected. For some pagans, it is seen as a way of honoring the gods and goddesses. Save Page Now. 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The religious accommodation process is designed to accommodate individuals who can cite specific teachings, traditions, or texts that Air Force policies contradict. Its a little scraggly right now, Sopchak said. Last week the United States Air Force announced that it had updated its regulations, and will allow airmen to seek a waiver to wear turbans, hijabs or beards for religious reasons. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. The conventional view of facial hair is that it looks unprofessional in uniform. That study, which involved 798 airmen responding to emailed surveys, called for more research and data on the subject. 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). However, most airmen who have waivers are Black, because they are more likely to be affected by pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) than White airmen. 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.. 2 0 obj 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. All are welcome. Since then, 21 Honor Guard airmen now have a pass to grow neatly-trimmed beards, according to Military.com. In 2020, the department extended shaving waivers for those diagnosed with razor bumps from one year to five years. They also make offerings anything from food to drinks to physical objects to their gods during a ceremony called a blot, he said. addresses the Air Force grooming standard for beards: "[b]eards are not authorizedunless for medical reasons, when authorized by a commander on the advice of a medical official." An Airmen who requests an accommodation waiver to grow a beard for religious reasons must follow <>>> 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. 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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. endobj 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. 0. Shaving waivers can hold back an airman's career, and since most airmen with waivers are Black, the regulations are effectively discriminatory. %PDF-1.5 Abdul Rahman Gaitain, an airman with the 821st. Correction: This story was updated at 6:53 p.m. to reflect correct information about religious waivers for beards. Published Dec 21, 2022 5:12 PM EST. thx. The research studied the effect of shaving waivers on the careers of active duty male airmen. Requests should normally be recommended for approval unless approval would have an adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, standards, or discipline, the Air Force wrote. 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 . I have an approved religious accommodation and have gotten pretty knowledgeable on the process. Get your daily fix of Air Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. The group is one of the Air Forces volunteer teams that considers ways to make policies more equitable for all airmen. Still, she called the policy clarification a great step forward.. 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. *!+zu[XAoC_:X/0{ v8iAU}JqQ.u`6fE_GJTBh$Wx)Vpw#7~rDeI0r\!H(NW|/bcPRHBe0tEyXYD q{ Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. A1C Rathour is the first Sikh Airman to receive religious accommodation, and may grow his beard and wear his turban while in uniform. The Air Force Surgeon General has approved five-year waivers allowing male airmen with a medical condition causing painful ingrown hairs to grow beards, the service said Tuesday. It is a sincerely held belief, but I have not been a Muslim for long, only a couple weeks. 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. 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.. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. The same was true for airmen trying to hit the rank of staff sergeant (E-5). Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a religious accommodation beard waiver. thx. W2~@R>tA);|6[ +XnDnQi\k`LF. 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 . David Roza purifying respirators and controlled air purifying respirators or beard-bands: 3. work just as well as N95s, but may cost more, and thus may be found to impose . | 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. 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. Community for current and past members of the US Air Force. Last August, he went to his units chaplain an evangelical Christian who Sopchak said was very supportive and curious about his Heathen religion who helped him put together the paperwork for his religious accommodation request. 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. As of Jan. 21, the Air Force has administratively separated 111 active duty Airmen. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. Its an unsubstantiated claim, dermatologist Lt. Col. Simon Ritchie told Task & Purpose in May. 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. Isnt the whole point of Religious Freedom that people CANT question your religious beliefs?? "There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry," the post read. (Staff Sgt. Asking questions is fine, but how is that even legal? The Army granted a similar waiver last year, and beard exemptions have been granted for a growing number of Sikhs and Muslims . The Air Force separated 610 Airmen for declining the once-mandated COVID-19 vaccination. Singh was born in India and followed his father, an asylee, to the U.S. in 2012. In addition to believing in the old Norse gods, he said, Heathens believe that they are descended from them. Military Approving Beards for Pagan Worshipers. Wright said he was opposed to facial hair in the Air Force for 29 of his 32 years in service. >_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 Click here. The religious accommodation process isn't designed for individuals to play the God/conscience card to get around things they don't like. In 2018, Staff Sgt. The Army last year granted its first beard authorization to a Norse pagan soldier. The Air Force currently prohibits service members from growing beards unless they are granted a religious or medical waiver, a policy that has come under scrutiny lately after military doctors studied its discriminatory effect on Black airmen. Master Sgt. ~pkgEsHh,1%l|hJ The updated regulations mandate that faith-based religious apparel requests can only be denied for a compelling government interest and the denial must be the least restrictive way the Air Force has of achieving that government interest. According to the Department of Defense Instruction 1300. In the event of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive threat, commanding officers could also ask someone wearing a hijab to remove it to ensure a proper gas mask fit. The advocacy group submitted a religious accommodation request for Singh in April 2019. . Religious head coverings are also required to be free of designs or markings unless the individuals uniform has a camouflage pattern. 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. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. 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.