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. 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. Don't lie about your belief. Beard hair longer than two inches must be rolled and/or tied to achieve the required length. 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. In the stories, you could see even the gods themselves have flaws, Sopchak said. US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jackson Manske. Contact the author here. is at the same time the history o f the interpretation of the Scriptures.'18 The Sunna embodied an ossified tradition. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Maysaa Ouza, the first Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps officer to wear the hijab, was also featured in a short NBC documentary last year. 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. Theyre more like family members than they are divine beings, Sopchak said. In addition to believing in the old Norse gods, he said, Heathens believe that they are descended from them. The Air Force plans to update its Air Force Instruction regulations governing dress and personal appearance and medical care management to reflect this change. 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. Meanwhile, about 76.83% of the no-waiver group was White. Tell me youre an A1C without telling me youre an A1C. Airmen in need of a waiver could try laser hair removal or chemical treatment, but many airmen are reluctant to undertake them because it could permanently alter their ability to grow facial hair, the study authors wrote. Published Feb 12, 2020 2:11 PM EST. Many airmen on social media called for abandoning the beard prohibition altogether. Rathour graduated Security Forces technical training on Sept. 26, 2019. <> 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. Turbans and under-turbans have similar color and material requirements as the hijab. 3.1.2.3.1. The real challenge is how do you change the culture, not just in the Air Force but in the services period.. Air Force Special Operations Command has made history by granting a religious accommodation waiver to a Sikh service member. In 2018, Staff Sgt. Staff Sgt. Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Times as senior reporter in March 2021. The last sentence indicates that Air Force senior leadership wants to be in sync with other services on major changes in facial hair policy. While the Air Force prohibits male members from growing beards, waivers are issued to airmen who, for medical and religious reasons, are not able to shave in line with regulations. Want to write for Task & Purpose? Last year, Capt. The 2021 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. Yes, Navy Seals can grow beards. 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. All told, Brown added two books, two podcasts, and a documentary, The Air Force now has a single website to manage all its recruiting needs, covering Active Duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve recruiting. That study, which involved 798 airmen responding to emailed surveys, called for more research and data on the subject. *!+zu[XAoC_:X/0{ v8iAU}JqQ.u`6fE_GJTBh$Wx)Vpw#7~rDeI0r\!H(NW|/bcPRHBe0tEyXYD q{ 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. 173rd Fighter Wing Airmen may begin taking advantage of new uniform regulations allowing religious exemptions such as beards, hijabs, and turbans while in uniform. For AFR waiver processing instructions see AFMAN 368001, - Participation and Training Procedures. A sample memo also said that an airman wearing a turban could be ordered to remove it if he goes within 25 feet of an operating aircraft. 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. 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. And. Military Approving Beards for Pagan Worshipers. Chief Bass comment demonstrates her commitment to changing the culture, and there seems to be some progress already. 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 could be two months away in the Air Force. Airmen who need to grow out their facial hair in uniform can take heart that the top enlisted airman, Chief Master Sgt. 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. 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. 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. ooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. Capt. 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. Garrett Sopchak mythology, a collection of interesting stories but little more. With regards to promotions, the wait grows longer the more time airmen have shaving waivers. Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel, Airman 1st Class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa. Press J to jump to the feed. Thanks for attaching this, it seems like a simple enough process to get the accommodation. The religious accommodation process is designed to accommodate individuals who can cite specific teachings, traditions, or texts that Air Force policies contradict. 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. 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. Another example of neat and conservative is color. 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 . Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim. The updated Air Force Instruction, released Feb. 7, also formally allows Sikh airmen to wear turbans and Muslim women to wear hijabs. 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. (Staff Sgt. Wright said he was opposed to facial hair in the Air Force for 29 of his 32 years in service. No Sikh American should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their career ambitions, said Giselle Klapper, Sikh Coalition Staff Attorney. Changing policy, actually is the easy part, Wright said. <> 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. Later, every religious trend sought and found the hadiths that justified its principles. 3.1.2.3.1. That matches the length allowed for people who are medically exempt from the requirement to be clean-shaven. The waiver group also had a greater rate of disciplinary action compared to the no-waiver group (18.96% versus 11.45%). For a long time, the old Norse mythology of Odin, Thor and Ragnark was just that for Staff Sgt. Personnel Division," to all sign off . Powered by GoDaddy This website uses cookies. "They were well-respected. 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. . As part of the process, an airman must describe the religious basis for and include a comment on the sincerity of the request. Something about what he found resonated, and Sopchak became a Norse Heathen. Air & Space Forces Magazine is the official publication of the Air & Space Forces Association, 1501 Langston Boulevard, Arlington, Va., 22209-1198. He also hopes to grow the Heathen community in the area around Hill. The Air Forces updated dress and personal appearance policy clarifies the grooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. x\[o~d/Sp|A|=hdDPwfvIQuDgg?ydtx.b`1K55'V#wLDP,(Wj Air Force). The group is one of the Air Forces volunteer teams that considers ways to make policies more equitable for all airmen. The updated Air Force Instruction, released Feb. 7, also formally allows Sikh airmen to wear turbans and Muslim women to wear hijabs. 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. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. It was more relatable.. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. 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. 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 and hijabs. Brown Jr. covered a broad range of topics with his additions to his Leadership Library in February. No Sikh American should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their career ambitions, Klapper said in a statement Wednesday. 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. As of Jan. 21, the Air Force has administratively separated 111 active duty Airmen. 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. We are working to take away the stigma attached to airmen who have a medical need or a religious accommodation for facial hair. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. 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. On Monday, Captain Toor and three other Sikhs sued the Marine Corps in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, saying the corps's refusal to grant a religious waiver is arbitrary and. In the words of the Hungarian scholar Goldziher, 'The history of religion . The Air Force has updated its grooming standards to formally allow Airmen to grow neatly trimmed beards, standardizing the religious or medical exemption process. 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 Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed the policy change. Editors note: This story has been updated with new comments from Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass. 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. The Hammer of Thor is available to be placed on government headstones and markers in the United States. Paragraph 1.5.2 changed to read: Submitting Requests for Religious, Gender , or Medical Waivers. Abdul Rahman Gaitan, 821st Contingency Response Squadron aerial porter, was among the first to be granted a religious accommodation for a shaving waiver based . Others mused that more people would enlist if beards were allowed. The Air Force has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Chaplains typically can tell if you're trying to BS them and it can affect the perceived credibility of real requests in the future. The AFI allows the Air Force to deny a request for a waiver only if it furthers a compelling government interest., Groups such as the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Sikh Coalition, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced their support for the decision, with CAIR saying Feb. 12 it is a step toward religious accommodation and inclusion for military personnel of all faiths., No Sikh American should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their career ambitions, Giselle Klapper, a Sikh Coalition staff attorney, said in a release. 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, he said. Get your daily fix of Air Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. % Garrett Sopchak, a 28-year-old aerospace . Below are current coronavirus disease 2019 statistics for Department of Air Force personnel: *These numbers include all of the cases that were reported since our last update on Jan. 18. Thats according to a new research paper published last week in the journal Military Medicine, which found that Air Force regulations against facial hair disproportionately affect Black or African American airmen and can lead to slower rates of promotion and limited job opportunities within the service. 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. I can answer the questions, so it is not really a problem but how is that even legal? Shaving waivers can hold back an airman's career, and since most airmen with waivers are Black, the regulations are effectively discriminatory. 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). <>/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>> You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The study would require only 100 to 150 service members, he said. In 2018, Staff Sgt. 8[/6&ip1~E5\h|#_W7AO2#+S_*wQ2I1jg!zx 6FTUqepk9v i*z]D@s;3c~52YJSR04P_dZgLA-Xh YWX,&"qp6bY ?HD]SL%d9n4%;uwR"d"4X An airmans rank will be displayed on the turban or under-turban when worn in circumstances where military headgear is customarily worn, and removed in circumstances where military headgear is not typically worn, such as indoors or in no-hat or no-salute areas. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. 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. The Sikh Coalition said the Air Force regulation closely resembles the Army's. For some pagans, it is seen as a way of honoring the gods and goddesses. Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. endobj I know Islam is iffy on if Beard are actually required but it is apart of the religion that I want to practice. As we work to build a more inclusive force, we are constantly assessing and evaluating all of the processes and programs that affect our Airmen, she said. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. During tours of less than 30 days, A ir 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. "There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry," the post read. Rather than delay his enlistment, Comer decided to shave his beard and apply for the accommodation at a later date. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. The Air Force has updated its grooming standards to formally allow Airmen to grow neatly trimmed beards, standardizing the religious or medical exemption process. However, most airmen who have waivers are Black, because they are more likely to be affected by pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) than White airmen. 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. Beards cant exceed two inches if they do, they must be rolled and/or tied to achieve the required length, the regulations state. It gradually worked its way up through the bureaucracy before ultimately being approved July 8 by Air Force personnel chief Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly. Sure, but how about competitive pay and benefits? 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. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. 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