air force religious beard waiver

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. Meanwhile, about 76.83% of the no-waiver group was White. 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. Religious exemption for shaving? : r/AirForce ), the Washington Post, and others. 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. The Brig. Don't lie about your belief. For military members, exemptions must also be documented in readiness systems (Navy/Marine Corps/Coast Guard Medical Readiness Reporting System, Army Medical Protection System, or Air Force Aeromedical Services Information Management System). 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. Abdul Rahman Gaitain, an airman with the 821st. The demographics of the respondents closely match those of the Air Force in general, the study authors wrote. He also consulted with The Asatru Community, a nonprofit group that advocates for followers of Norse pagan religions. 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 . Beards should have been approved years ago, Facebook commenter Heather Britten wrote. DAFI52-201 23 JUNE 2021 5 Written request for accommodation received by Air Force OKs beards, turbans, and hijabs worn for religious reasons 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. The Air Force has updated its grooming standards to formally allow Airmen to grow neatly trimmed beards, standardizing the religious or medical exemption process. Beard News in Air Force Copyright 2022 Beard Waiver - All Rights Reserved. | Still, she called the policy clarification a great step forward.. Religious Beards in the Workplace: Are Pagans Allowed Beards William Bailey, received a waiver to grow a beard in March. Now, updated Air Force regulations make clearer and smoother the path for personnel to request and obtain a similar religious waiver. When asked about specific efforts for removing the stigma regarding waivers, an Air Force spokesperson told Task & Purpose that the Air Force changed AFI 36-2903, its regulation governing dress and appearance standards., earlier this spring to allow airmen with a shaving profile to trim and shape their facial hair, and to allow airmen with profiles to apply for more positions in the service. 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). It must also include a photo or description of the head covering, religious-affiliated item, grooming standard or personal appearance that is being requested. In an email to Task & Purpose, Bass said the Air Force is continually reevaluating its policies. The religious accommodation process isn't designed for individuals to play the God/conscience card to get around things they don't like. Rather than delay his enlistment, Comer decided to shave his beard and apply for the accommodation at a later date. Still, it seems the Honor Guard has not completely embraced shaving waivers. I know Islam is iffy on if Beard are actually required but it is apart of the religion that I want to practice. The research studied the effect of shaving waivers on the careers of active duty male airmen. Shaving waivers can hold back an airman's career, and since most airmen with waivers are Black, the regulations are effectively discriminatory. Staff Sgt. Sopchak said he was originally raised Baptist, but has not been a Christian for a long time. endobj HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. The U.S. Air Force granted its first religious waivers to the military-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate this week. The Air Force has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years. Still, Ritchie called for a study to come up with a conclusive answer. <>/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>> 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. 1st Class Benjamin . Chaplains typically can tell if you're trying to BS them and it can affect the perceived credibility of real requests in the future. 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. 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. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? Air Force officially OKs beards, turbans, hijabs for religious reasons The Air Force has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. Though. The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group which works on behalf of Sikhs and other religious minorities in the military, praised the new regulation. is at the same time the history o f the interpretation of the Scriptures.'18 The Sunna embodied an ossified tradition. 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. Air Force Officially OKs Beards, Turbans, Hijabs for Religious Reasons . Asatru FAQ: Beards - PaganSquare - PaganSquare - Join the conversation! There are also exceptions for Air Force Reservists serving less than 30 days. Rather than delay his enlistment, Comer decided to shave his beard and apply for the accommodation at a later date. Action on Requests for Religious Accommodation that Require the Waiver of Department of the Air Force Regulations or Policies or Directives . Air & Space Forces Magazine is the official publication of the Air & Space Forces Association, 1501 Langston Boulevard, Arlington, Va., 22209-1198. 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. This is the first time the command has done so. PDF By Order of The Department of The Air Force Secretary of The Air - Af Under the new guidelines . In the stories, you could see even the gods themselves have flaws, Sopchak said. David Roza If youre willing to learn, we are willing to teach.. It is unclear how many Norse pagans, Heathen, or Asatru followers are in the military, but they have become increasingly visible in recent years. The waiver group also had a greater rate of disciplinary action compared to the no-waiver group (18.96% versus 11.45%). According to an Air Force press . Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. OpJAGAF 2019-9, 21 March 2019, Religious Accommodation Request-Norse Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. 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. 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. 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. 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. And. 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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. 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. There could be more studies of this topic to come. Airmens facial hair also cannot interfere with the wear of personal protective equipment such as gas masks, the Air Force said, and airmen must be able to continue to perform their duties. The regulation follows years of individual airmen and other service members receiving waivers for religious beards and apparel. 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.. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. In August, images posted on Air Force amn/nco/snco teased a pilot program for inclusive male grooming standards which would allow service members to grow neatly-kept facial hair up to a quarter-inch in length, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. Imagine the man-hours saved when men dont have to go to the doctor to get approved for a shaving waiver, and then periodically renewed., Daniel Walker, another Facebook user, added: They keep relaxing grooming standards instead of giving us things that would actually increase our quality of life.. 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. >_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 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. 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. Sens. Community for current and past members of the US Air Force. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed the policy change. Air Force | Beard Waiver 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. Religious head coverings are also required to be free of designs or markings unless the individuals uniform has a camouflage pattern. Sopchak, an aerospace ground equipment craftsman at Hill Air Force Base in Utah,said other airmen have been emailing him with questions about his faith. 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. [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 a recent Air Force study. Sample accommodation request memos included with the regulation said that the Air Force can order an airman to immediately shave or remove their turban or hijab if they need to be ready to wear a gas mask during an emergency. As part of the process, an airman must describe the religious basis for and include a comment on the sincerity of the request. DAF COVID-19 Statistics - January 2022 - Air Force Abdul Rahman Gaitan, an aerial porter with the 821st Contingency Response Support Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, was granted a religious waiver permitting him to keep a beard due to his Muslim faith, according to an Air Force article published Friday. 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. safety) or when precluded by a compelling (i.e., especially important) governmental and/or Air Force interest. Press J to jump to the feed. There currently is no clear evidence showing that is the case, the study said. Changing policy, actually is the easy part, Wright said. I can answer the questions, so it is not really a problem but how is that even legal? NORSKK - Everything you need to know to get a religious | Facebook According to a statement from the Air Force, Senior Airman Dominic Varriale was granted the turban waiver in 2020. 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. 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. Because its a faith that hasnt been practiced in about 1,000 years, he said, theres no set way to practice it. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. endobj Air Force says recent beard approvals have not sparked an influx of Some of it was because I just ignored it, some of it was because I wanted these young men to do what I did: just suck it up and figure it out and youll be fine.. Singh said that he believes the Air Forces policy update will make it easier for Sikh Americans to serve while maintaining their articles of faith. 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. The new religious accommodation rules also cover unshorn beards and unshorn hair such as those worn by members of the Sikh faith under-turbans or patkas, and other indoor or outdoor head coverings. Want to write for Task & Purpose? I will also add, the whole reason I want a beard is to help me with my faith during Ramadan. The memo said he can grow a longer beard if he rolls or ties it, but Sopchak said hell likely keep it within two inches to stay safe on the job and keep it simple. 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. 19 July 2019. The Army granted a similar waiver last year, and beard exemptions have been granted for a growing number of Sikhs and Muslims . And last December, a group of sailors on the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis held the Navys first Heathen lay service. 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. 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. Tell me youre an A1C without telling me youre an A1C. Military Approving Beards for Pagan Worshipers. 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.. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The Air Force has cited razor bumps in the past when making changes to its grooming policy. Beard Religious Waivers in Air Force Norse Pagan, Sikh, Muslim and other Airmen have officially been granted religious waivers to wear beards. One civilian study from 2018 showed that 98% of study participants with an eighth-inch of beard passed the fit test with respirators that are similar to the M-50 gas masks used in the military in terms of material and fit. Bearded Airmen and Guardians? Leaked Proposal for Air Force Test The comment, which was also shared on the popular Facebook page Air Force amn/nco/snco, was made in response to a selfie she posted of herself alongside Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall and Airman 1st Class Kyle Voss-McReynolds, who was the leadership teams driver during a recent event and who also wears a beard in uniform. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass, wants to reduce the branchs cultural bias against shaving waivers granted for medical or religious reasons. For ANG Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. This new study shows that changing beard regulations may actually be a need, rather than a want, because the current policy essentially discriminates against Black airmen. Theres a lot of comparables where Hey if females and women in the military just got their hair changed, how about beards? said Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass in April. Its unclear how many people currently use shaving waivers. Air University Airman overcomes barriers to express his faith as a He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. Correction: This story was updated at 6:53 p.m. to reflect correct information about religious waivers for beards. Meet this Norse Heathen airman approved to grow a beard in the Air Force, 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. Something about what he found resonated, and Sopchak became a Norse Heathen. [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. No Sikh American should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their career ambitions, Klapper said in a statement Wednesday. Based on the successful examples of Soldiers currently serving with these accommodations, I have determined As of Jan. 21, the Air Force has administratively separated 111 active duty Airmen. <> Number of religious accommodations, including beards, likely to grow in We dont believe that theres a superior race, Sopchak said. PDF Supreme Court of the United States 0. The conventional view of facial hair is that it looks unprofessional in uniform. 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. Theres a lot of things that we learn from the past and our ancestry, and its just carrying on the line, really.. 173rd Fighter Wing Airmen may begin taking advantage of new uniform regulations allowing religious exemptions such as beards, hijabs, and turbans while in uniform. Garrett Sopchak, a 28-year-old aerospace . David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. The same neat and conservative approach applies to beards, which must not exceed two inches when measured from the bottom of the chin, the regulations states. Sikh American airman in U.S. Air Force allowed to serve with turban and 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. A religious accommodation request must include information including the airmans job, what the airman is asking for and the religious reason for the request, and a comment on the sincerity of the request. 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. This condition can appear in a person of any ethnicity but is predominantly seen in Blacks/African Americans, study authors wrote. The Sikh Coalition said the Air Force regulation closely resembles the Army's. Heres how. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Religious Accommodation: Growing trend around the USAF 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. <> A 'defining feature of masculine men' soldier's Norse pagan faith We recommend further study of gas mask and respirator fit testing with facial hair in the military population to clarify this.. Be aware though, that the belief must be sincere, which means you will likely be interviewed by the chaplain about your beliefs, and they will advise your CC on whether or not your beliefs are sincere, or you're just trying to get a beard. 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. 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. Turbans and under-turbans have similar color and material requirements as the hijab. On My Knees I Think Clearer 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. We speculate that these members, irrespective of race/ethnicity, may perceive this bias against shaving waivers and choose to leave the service earlier.. In December, the Air Force commissioned its first female Muslim chaplain . Contact the author here. Seven months later, this reporter could not immediately find any such progress reports. Published Dec 21, 2022 5:12 PM EST. Commonly referred to as razor bumps, PFB is a skin condition that makes shaving painful and can lead to permanent scarring if the skin is not allowed to heal, which makes it a common reason for receiving a shaving waiver. According to the updated regulation, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel, the Air Force allows all such apparel and beards as long as the airmen wearing them make it through a religious accommodation waiver process, that they appear neat and conservative, and that the apparel and beards don't interfere with personal safety. Paragraph 1.5.2 changed to read: Submitting Requests for Religious, Gender , or Medical Waivers. other similar condition s that prohibits regular facial shaving may requ est a waiver to wear a beard .

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