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| Photo: /Religion News ServiceArmy Maj. Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi is among those pushing for a change in military policy to change the policy to prevent Sikhs from having to choose between God and country. Today, Sikhs must get special permission to wear and turban and have a beard as dictated by their religious beliefs. |
Wednesday, August 26, 2015: The U.S. Department of Defense is broadly embracing increased diversity to our nation’s benefit. Comprehensive integration of women into nontraditional military combat roles and the assimilation of openly gay and transgender individuals represent two recent examples of our nation’s largest establishment meeting evolved standards of equality. This month, as we watched the first Ranger-qualified women in U.S. history graduate, it’s impossible not to celebrate progress.
As newsworthy as these developments are, their coverage overshadows a significant policy shortfall for fully realizing the advantages diversity brings to our military forces — providing meaningful religious accommodation to proud Americans who wish to serve their nation.
Current defense policy, updated in 2014, attempts to provide increased flexibility regarding religious accommodations. However, this new policy creates an unintended barrier to service for at least one patriotic group, the American Sikh community.
Sikhism is the world’s fifth largest religion, with more than 25 million followers worldwide. Sikh religious articles of faith, which include turbans and beards, represent a commitment to justice, equality and service.
For more than 30 years, military accommodations for American Sikhs have been considered on a case-by-case basis only, as exceptions to the rule. A recruit must decide to renounce his faith by shaving his beard, cutting his hair, and removing his turban to initially enter the military and potentially each time he moves to a new duty station. This choice between faith and country is a choice that no American should have to make.
During World War I, Sikhs serving in the British army were known as the “Black Lions” due to their ferocity on the battlefield, with Sikh regiments receiving more Victoria Crosses per capita than members of any other British unit. More than 80,000 Sikh soldiers died fighting alongside Allied forces in World War I and World War II, and have served with honor and distinction in the U.S. military since the early 1900s.
Critics will argue that the current policy makes good sense and should remain unchanged, considering the physical nature of Sikh religious accommodations and desire to provide commanders greater decision-making authority. Many rightfully highlight the need for uniformity, discipline, unit cohesion, cleanliness and the ability to wear a gas mask. However, these arguments carry much less weight today and, in some cases, have been proven false.
Turbans and beards generate no more perceptions of non-uniformity than those along any ethnic, gender, weight or height differences. Sikhs, wearing their turbans and beards in a neat and orderly appearance, currently have no similar obstacles to military service in Canada, the United Kingdom, India, and several other countries.
Three Sikh Americans have successfully served in the U.S. military with their articles of faith in recent years. In one case, Maj. Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi was deployed as a doctor to a forward location in Afghanistan and received the Bronze Star for saving countless lives while wearing his turban, his beard and his Army combat uniform.
Additionally, claims of an inability to adhere to health and hygiene practices or wear gas masks are without merit. Special operations forces have worn long hair, mustaches and beards under combat field conditions for nearly 15 years. Since 2007, more than 100,000 soldiers have been granted approval for facial hair profiles. Bearded soldiers, like Maj. Kalsi, have successfully worn gas masks, and women entering basic training are no longer required to cut their hair short.
Last year, 120 bipartisan members of Congress and a number of retired U.S. general officers (myself included) sent letters to the secretary of defense requesting this policy change. If the Defense Department truly wishes to pursue diversity through inclusiveness, then current religious accommodation guidance needs to change.
Jeffrey Kendall, who lives in San Antonio, is a retired Air Force brigadier general. A decorated combat pilot, he led multinational forces in NATO and was the commander of the Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan.