Many airmens dearest wish may soon come true if the Air Force greenlights a pilot program allowing some men to grow beards. | Shaving Waiver stigma Air Force Medicine medical beard Al Dhafra . DAFI 52-201 is the governing regulation for religious accommodation. Its kind of a big thing, culturally.. The Air Force has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years. Rather than delay his enlistment, Comer decided to shave his beard and apply for the accommodation at a later date. 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. Big news today for the many airmen out there who want to grow out their beards: not only is there little evidence showing that beards interfere with a gas mask seal, but the Air Forces ban on beards may also be contributing to racial discrimination and hurting promotion opportunities within the service. Asking questions is fine, but how is that even legal? Still, she called the policy clarification a great step forward.. Previously, these airmen needed to get their waivers updated annually. 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. I will also add, the whole reason I want a beard is to help me with my faith during Ramadan. 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 also granted its first religious accommodation beard waiver, to a Muslim airman, in 2018. The study would require only 100 to 150 service members, he said. 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. 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. 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. Sopchak said he was originally raised Baptist, but has not been a Christian for a long time. ~pkgEsHh,1%l|hJ 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. The study also called for re-examining the Air Forces most-cited reason for having a beard regulation, which is the concern that a beard would interfere with a gas masks seal around an airmans face. He hopes to become a Gothi essentially an ordained priest and perhaps become an official Air Force chaplain. The Supreme Court today upheld Indian Air Force's denial of permission to two Muslim personnel to grow beard, holding that the two orders were in compliance with Regulation 425(b) which . thx. Kesh, or 'uncut hair' is one of the five religious requirements of baptized Sikhs. 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. Abdul Rahman Gaitain, an airman with the 821st. While the Air Force prohibits male members from growing beards, waivers are issued to airmen who,. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. Press J to jump to the feed. For some pagans, it is seen as a way of honoring the gods and goddesses. Still, Ritchie called for a study to come up with a conclusive answer. Chaplains typically can tell if you're trying to BS them and it can affect the perceived credibility of real requests in the future. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. 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. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I want to go all out with practing the religion (including reading the Quran like it is recommened during Ramadan. Beards should have been approved years ago, Facebook commenter Heather Britten wrote. US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jackson Manske. 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. Guidelines for requesting a religious accommodation for a Heathen beard in the U.S. Air Force <> Many airmen on social media called for abandoning the beard prohibition altogether. 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. The research studied the effect of shaving waivers on the careers of active duty male airmen. 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. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. 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. Its unclear how many people currently use shaving waivers. Master Sgt. Turbans and under-turbans have similar color and material requirements as the hijab. Accommodations, after all, arent about special treatment they are about ensuring that religiously observant Sikhs and others dont have to choose between staying true to our faith and serving our country.. Isnt the whole point of religious freedom that people CANT do that? It is unclear how many Norse pagans, Heathen, or Asatru followers are in the military, but they have become increasingly visible in recent years. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. We recommend further study of gas mask and respirator fit testing with facial hair in the military population to clarify this.. The Air Force on Friday updated its regulations to formally allow airmen to ask for a waiver to wear religious apparel such as turbans or hijabs, or beards worn for religious reasons. Something about what he found resonated, and Sopchak became a Norse Heathen. 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. That study, which involved 798 airmen responding to emailed surveys, called for more research and data on the subject. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 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 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. Still, it seems the Honor Guard has not completely embraced shaving waivers. 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. Another example of neat and conservative is color. Airman 1st Class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa in June 2019 became the first active-duty Sikh airman allowed to wear a turban, beard and long hair, which Sikhs tie in a bun and then cover with the turban. The services often claim that facial hair interferes with the seal of a gas mask, but an Air Force doctor has found no direct scientific evidence to support that claim. Wright said he was opposed to facial hair in the Air Force for 29 of his 32 years in service. Would beards be nice? This condition, which the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology says affects up to 60 percent of Black men, occurs when curved facial hairs grow back into the skin. Start with the chaplain, and work with them to route the request through your chain. Capt. Garrett Sopchak mythology, a collection of interesting stories but little more. The Air Force has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years. <> The regulation formalizes a waiver process for future airmen seeking to wear turbans, hijab or beards, By 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. 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. 1 comment. W2~@R>tA);|6[ +XnDnQi\k`LF. 0. This causes inflammation and a foreign body reaction, and over time, can result in scarring. The waiver group also had a greater rate of disciplinary action compared to the no-waiver group (18.96% versus 11.45%). 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. The facial hair cannot exceed one-quarter of an inch, must be grown out naturally and cannot be shaped or styled. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. It was only after becoming the top enlisted airman that Wright met fellow airmen for whom being clean-shaven was impossible without immense pain and skin damage. Some pagans might choose to grow a beard in order to express their religious identity or beliefs. 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. ooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. Market-leading rankings and editorial commentary - see the top law firms & lawyers for Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations) in United States Sens. The regulation follows years of individual airmen and other service members receiving waivers for religious beards and apparel. Eugene Oliver/U.S. t7be,2/gQ u7|O;(?lKHfm'*g' I{C During tours of less than 30 days, Air Force Reserve (AFR) and Air National Guard (ANG) chaplains not on extended active duty may request a beard waiver for religious observance when consistent with their faith. 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. The female hair changes were not a want, it was very much a need based on health first when I talk with our men in uniform: Is this a need or is this a want?. While supporters of current Air Force policy may have anecdotal evidence of one to five people who they see fail the fit test, he said, that cant be extrapolated to hundreds of thousands of airmen.. Get the latest military news, entertainment, and gear in your inbox daily. It is is up to the wing commander (or the unit's equivalent of such a commander) to make the final decision. Military Approving Beards for Pagan Worshipers. 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. It took Sopchak about 11 months to get his beard approved. The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group that has pushed for changes to the Air Forces dress and appearance policy, commended the move. Caitlyn Smoyer). 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. 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 . The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group which works on behalf of Sikhs and other religious minorities in the military, praised the new regulation. 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. The Air Force plans to update its Air Force Instruction regulations governing dress and personal appearance and medical care management to reflect this change. And at least two airmen who follow the Norse Heathen, or pagan, faiths have been granted permission to wear a beard. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. Beard Religious Waivers in Air Force Norse Pagan, Sikh, Muslim and other Airmen have officially been granted religious waivers to wear beards. According to an Air Force press . Anecdotal evidence and a July 2021 study in the journal Military Medicine indicate that airmen with shaving waivers are more often passed over for promotions and other professional opportunities because of their appearance. The standards for growing a beard for medical reasons remain unchanged, the Air Force said. 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. This is a volunteers proposal.. Those calls accelerated earlier this year, when the Air Force changed its regulations to allow for women to wear braids, ponytails and bangs in order to prevent irreversible hair loss and migraines stemming from the old hair regulations. 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. Despite being in line with regulations, airmen with waivers reported feeling stigmatized for wearing facial hair. A California-based airman has become the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver after a 2014 policy. He received a beard waiver on July 8, 2019. Contact the author here. The updated regulation said beards must be no longer than two inches when measured from the bottom of the chin, and must be rolled and/or tied when longer than two inches. The Air Force Times reports on Air Force SSgt Garrett Sopchak, who just became the first US Air Force Airman to be allowed to wear a beard because he adheres to Norse Heathen religious beliefs. 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. dx xE28;eN0ORG*sMhw_2iL!o@/dUKS0sD~-dd!7r.7ucOjP0GH#_&F%)wr-' Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? Get your daily fix of Air Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. 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. 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. Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade use hot towels to warm their faces during a shaving clinic May 22 at the brigade's organizational classroom. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. The updated Air Force Instruction, released Feb. 7, also formally allows Sikh airmen to wear turbans and Muslim women to wear hijabs. 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. One Facebook commenter questioned why the Air Force needs a separate pilot program when it could study those who already have shaving waivers. He also hopes to grow the Heathen community in the area around Hill. Also, do you have to be able to prove that you are that religion or can you just claim that you are a Muslim and thats that. x\[o~d/Sp|A|=hdDPwfvIQuDgg?ydtx.b`1K55'V#wLDP,(Wj In December, the Air Force commissioned its first female Muslim chaplain . is at the same time the history o f the interpretation of the Scriptures.'18 The Sunna embodied an ossified tradition. Sopchak said hes recently had some airmen, who were interested in exploring his religion, email him with questions, and hes helping other Air Force Heathens get their beards approved. 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 new AFI formally allows requests for waivers, and for neat and conservative beards that present a professional appearance. %PDF-1.5 But advocates argue that more sweeping changes are needed, in part because shaving waivers are often misunderstood and hurt Airmen's careers. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. 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. Staff Sgt. Air Force). The Quran, too, was used in a similar manner. But on July 18, the amn/nco/snco page posted a March 1 memo granting another Heathen airman, Staff Sgt. Its an unsubstantiated claim, dermatologist Lt. Col. Simon Ritchie told Task & Purpose in May. Tim Chacon/Air National Guard. Want to write for Task & Purpose? Staff Sgt. The Air Force Times reports that applications for waivers can now be made by airmen who wish to wear religious apparel or are requesting exemptions from rules prohibiting beards and long hair. 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. There's no more reliable source for news about your Air Force. 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 . 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. The update to AFI 36-2903, Dress and personal appearance of Air Force personnel, allows airmen to request a waiver to wear religious apparel, as long as they are neat and conservative and present a professional and well-groomed appearance.