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. Sure, but how about competitive pay and benefits? 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. 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. Hopper,. The study could provide ammunition for airmen who really want to grow out their beards, a large number of whom advocate for changing the facial hair regulations on social media platforms like Reddit and Facebook. 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. 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. It must also include a photo or description of the head covering, religious-affiliated item, grooming standard or personal appearance that is being requested. Copyright 2023. 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. <> The Brig. I know Islam is iffy on if Beard are actually required but it is apart of the religion that I want to practice. Airmen who need to grow out their facial hair in uniform can take heart that the top enlisted airman, Chief Master Sgt. . Don't lie about your belief. In December, the Air Force commissioned its first female Muslim chaplain . Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. When requests are precluded by military necessity, commanders and supervisors should seek reasonable alternatives.. For AFR waiver processing instructions see AFMAN 368001, - Participation and Training Procedures. 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. The Air Force has cited razor bumps in the past when making changes to its grooming policy. | 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. For nearly a year, the Air Force weighed a staff sergeant's request to grow a beard as part of his religious beliefs before granting him a waiver, a decision that balanced personal liberty against military readiness, a Pentagon spokesman said. 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. If they didnt have one, in some of the stories, they were actually ridiculed. 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. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. endobj 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. All are welcome. Correction: This story was updated at 6:53 p.m. to reflect correct information about religious waivers for beards. For AFR waiver processing instructions see AFMAN 36-8001, Participation and Training Procedures. endobj The Air Force separated 610 Airmen for declining the once-mandated COVID-19 vaccination. In 2018, the Air Force granted its first "religious accommodation beard waiver" to a Muslim airman, allowing him to wear a beard while in uniform. Islam & The First Religious Beard in The US Military (Air Force) The first person granted a beard waiver in the U.S. Airforce due to his faith was a Muslim soldier. 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. Heres how. 2 0 obj The Air Force's updated dress and personal appearance policy clarifies the gr ooming and uniform standards for members who wear turbans, hijabs and beards for religious reasons. 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. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. ~pkgEsHh,1%l|hJ And last December, a group of sailors on the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis held the Navys first Heathen lay 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 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. Religious beards in the military were allowed in 2017. However, given the most recent research; shaving waivers could play a role in racial disparity in terms of promotions. For some pagans, it is seen as a way of honoring the gods and goddesses. Wright said he was opposed to facial hair in the Air Force for 29 of his 32 years in service. It took Sopchak about 11 months to get his beard approved. The push to create a new Space National Guard got a major boost last week as a bipartisan team of Senators offered new legislationeven as the Pentagon works to craft details on a competing plan. Shaving sharpens the edges of facial hair and makes the condition worse, the college said, and shaving less frequently or allowing the beard to grow helps. (In heathen lore . 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.. They also make offerings anything from food to drinks to physical objects to their gods during a ceremony called a blot, he said. Maysaa Ouza became the first Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps officer to wear hijab. 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. is at the same time the history o f the interpretation of the Scriptures.'18 The Sunna embodied an ossified tradition. [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. 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. Master Sgt. That study, which involved 798 airmen responding to emailed surveys, called for more research and data on the subject. Contact the author here. The regulation formalizes a waiver process for future airmen seeking to wear turbans, hijab or beards, By Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. The religious beard exemption in the US army was created for the benefit of Sikhs. 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. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim. ;NNB6 j~X3E]4]euu((m#/S>c9K71,E304a;97la@Ejrf-o eP9_$)'"?#EO!orCi=5P@C5TmJY;^qzU/nWXvvRH~]/C >K)a2MuOzZ.VsDNOr%rZR[TINcCPBi!U;$TXA9%9;?&>k37{X]sa`p3Wc1^CKtjBrx\5uI3 Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. A highly visible sign of changing Air Force policy may soon be evident here at Kingsley Field, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. 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. 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. 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. 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. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. Under the new guidelines . 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Many airmen on social media called for abandoning the beard prohibition altogether. But so far, the call for beards seems to fall on deaf ears. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed the policy change. That was followed up by more leaked slides in October which promised that an updated facial hair standard would be considered at a November meeting of the Air Force Uniform Board, Coffee or Die Magazine reported. 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. Rathour graduated Security Forces technical training on Sept. 26, 2019. He hopes to become a Gothi essentially an ordained priest and perhaps become an official Air Force chaplain. Theres a lot of things that we learn from the past and our ancestry, and its just carrying on the line, really.. ak cGeoI0_enzM8_#.Skvv1Nx72!oaBV >q@yN;NG.s;9>/B32:*I=u/x|=3;.m1.DWc(P(mZ XZ We recommend further study of gas mask and respirator fit testing with facial hair in the military population to clarify this.. 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.. Caitlyn Smoyer). Dec. 26, 2022. Its kind of a big thing, culturally.. Contact the author here. Would beards be nice? For a long time, the old Norse mythology of Odin, Thor and Ragnark was just that for Staff Sgt. 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. The Air Force also granted its first religious accommodation beard waiver, to a Muslim airman, in 2018. 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. Get the latest military news, entertainment, and gear in your inbox daily. Rather than delay his enlistment, Comer decided to shave his beard and apply for the accommodation at a later date. 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. t7be,2/gQ u7|O;(?lKHfm'*g' I{C Published Jul 14, 2021 8:57 AM EDT. The new AFI formally allows requests for waivers, and for neat and conservative beards that present a professional appearance. It interfaces with DAFPD 52-1, Chaplain Corps; Air Force Instruction (AFI) . According to the Department of Defense Instruction 1300. Airmen can use styling products on their beards, but petroleum-based products are not allowed while wearing a protective mask. As of Jan. 21, the Air Force has administratively separated 111 active duty Airmen. 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. William Bailey received a waiver to grow a beard March 1, according to an Air Force memo posted in July to the amn/nco/snco Facebook page. 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. . The Air Force on Friday became the second branch of the U.S. military to approve the wearing of beards, turbans, hijabs, under-turbans/patkas, unshorn hair and other indoor/outdoor head coverings for religious reasons. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. 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. Airman raises his head as flight surgeon chief of medical staff inspects his neck and face during a shaving waiver course at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., March 15, 2018. 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 . FILE PHOTO: U.S. Air Force Staff 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. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass, wants to reduce the branchs cultural bias against shaving waivers granted for medical or religious reasons. Published Dec 21, 2022 5:12 PM EST. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a religious accommodation beard waiver. It is a sincerely held belief, but I have not been a Muslim for long, only a couple weeks. 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. Kesh, or 'uncut hair' is one of the five religious requirements of baptized Sikhs. The same was true for airmen trying to hit the rank of staff sergeant (E-5). He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. Those interested in pursuing a shaving waiver at Al Dhafra can attend shaving waiver clinic walk-in hours on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., or schedule an appointment at the 380th EMDG clinic during walk-in hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The U. S. Air Force has published new guidance for religious accommodations that allow airmen to wear beards, turbans and hijabs. The Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States which has helped more than 20 Sikh Americans serve in the military, applauded the changes. Editors note: This story has been updated with new comments from Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass. 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. Despite being in line with regulations, airmen with waivers reported feeling stigmatized for wearing facial hair. 1 comment. 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. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. 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.. 7Ndj% The research studied the effect of shaving waivers on the careers of active duty male airmen. The research studied the effect of shaving waivers on the careers of active duty male airmen. 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. thx. 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. DAFI52-201 23 JUNE 2021 5 Written request for accommodation received by (U.S. Air Force) Airmen will be allowed to wear up to. In the stories, you could see even the gods themselves have flaws, Sopchak said. It was more relatable.. One Facebook commenter questioned why the Air Force needs a separate pilot program when it could study those who already have shaving waivers. Tim Chacon/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. Abdul Rahman Gaitan, 821st Contingency Response Squadron aerial porter, was among the first to be granted a religious accommodation for a shaving waiver based . Chief Bass comment demonstrates her commitment to changing the culture, and there seems to be some progress already. 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. The Army granted a similar waiver last year, and beard exemptions have been granted for a growing number of Sikhs and Muslims . This new study looked at a much larger share of data and involved 9,339 valid responses. Published Feb 12, 2020 2:11 PM EST. 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?. 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 a statement from the Air Force, Senior Airman Dominic Varriale was granted the turban waiver in 2020. The last sentence indicates that Air Force senior leadership wants to be in sync with other services on major changes in facial hair policy. Staff Sgt. 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. The demographics of the respondents closely match those of the Air Force in general, the study authors wrote. Staff Sgt. The Quran, too, was used in a similar manner. The study authors found that the long wait for promotions applied to airmen of all races who had waivers. 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. A staff judge advocate must also review the request package. Under the new process, a commander has up to 30 days to approve an Airmans request for a waiver, and that the accommodation will generally follow the Airman through his or her career. "They were well-respected. 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. Still, it seems the Honor Guard has not completely embraced shaving waivers. 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. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. 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 Air Force has updated its grooming standards to formally allow Airmen to grow neatly trimmed beards, standardizing the religious or medical exemption process. 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. In 2018, Staff Sgt. I was willfully ignorant about the impact it was having on young Black men, he said. The religious accommodation process is designed to accommodate individuals who can cite specific teachings, traditions, or texts that Air Force policies contradict. It is unclear how many Norse pagans, Heathen, or Asatru followers are in the military, but they have become increasingly visible in recent years. 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Based on the Air Force regulation, a disapproval should be based on real (not theoretical) compelling government interest (i.e. There currently is no clear evidence showing that is the case, the study said. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. of the Air Force Kaleth Wright, said in April on a panel discussion on male grooming standards in the Air Force. A U.S. soldier who is serving in Afghanistan has received a uniform religious exception to sport a beard based upon his Norse pagan beliefs. Click here. Airmen assigned to units wearing a beret of any color may wear an appropriately-colored head covering as directed by the unit commander, one sample memo explains. Since then, 21 Honor Guard airmen now have a pass to grow neatly-trimmed beards, according to Military.com. +BEeB5JiTx 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. William Bailey, a beard waiver. Start with the chaplain, and work with them to route the request through your chain. Accommodation of Religious Practices in the Air Force. Chapter IV - Four Eyes Were Reading the Passage I was running the head of my pencil-case along the line as I read it, and something caused me to raise my eyes. (Staff Sgt. 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. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. For those wondering, the regulation says that a mustache worn with a beard may extend sideways beyond the corners of the mouth to connect with the beard, but must be trimmed or groomed to not cover the upper lip.. The updated Air Force Instruction, released Feb. 7, also formally allows Sikh airmen to wear turbans and Muslim women to wear hijabs. That assessment, and ability to address and adjust, is critical to our force, and our people. W2~@R>tA);|6[ +XnDnQi\k`LF. 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. But his community now meets in parks or homes to commemorate holidays such as Yule and the solstices. 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.
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