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US Air Force updates its dress code policy to include turbans, beards and hijabs
Sikh and Muslim organisations have termed the move a significant step toward inclusion in the US military
CHANDIGARH: The US Air Force has updated its dress code policy to allow Sikhs and Muslims to wear their articles of faith on duty.
Under the new guidelines, finalised last week, Sikhs and Muslims can seek a religious accommodation to wear turbans, beards, unshorn hair and hijabs, and expect to be approved as long as their appearance is “neat and conservative”, except under extremely limited circumstances.
A CNN report quoting the guidelines said that the final review for the accommodation must take place within 30 days for cases in the United States, and 60 days for all other cases.
Earlier, Sikhs and Muslims serving in the US Air Force had to individually request religious accommodations that were granted on a case-by-case basis, but the approval process was lengthy.
Both the Sikh Coalition and the Sikh American Veterans Alliance (SAVA) have called on the US military to allow religious minorities to serve without exception.
“Sikhs have served honorably and capably in the US 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,” Giselle Klapper, a staff attorney for the Sikh Coalition, said in a statement.
The media report quoted SAVA president Kamal Singh Kalsi as saying that the department of defense should institute a broader policy that applies across all branches of the military, following the example set by the US Army in 2017. “The department of defense should have a consistent and department-wide policy on religious accommodation,” Kalsi said in a release.
AIRMEN ACCOMMODATED
A few Sikhs and Muslims have received accommodations to serve in the air force while wearing their articles of faith.
On Wednesday, the Sikh Coalition announced that airman 1st class Gurchetan Singh had become the first Sikh American to receive an accommodation to serve in the Air National Guard.
Last June, airman 1st class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa became the first active duty airman to receive religious accommodation, allowing him to serve with the turban and beard, a process that took nearly six months.
Airmen 1st class Sunjit Singh Rathour and Jaspreet Singh also received religious accommodations last year.
