Now, updated Air Force regulations make clearer and smoother the path for personnel to request and obtain a similar religious waiver. Many airmens dearest wish may soon come true if the Air Force greenlights a pilot program allowing some men to grow beards. 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. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. Eugene Oliver/U.S. 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. other similar condition s that prohibits regular facial shaving may requ est a waiver to wear a beard . Abdul Rahman Gaitan, 821st Contingency Response Squadron aerial porter, was among the first to be granted a religious accommodation for a shaving waiver based . Community for current and past members of the US Air Force. . A highly visible sign of changing Air Force policy may soon be evident here at Kingsley Field, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. There's no more reliable source for news about your Air Force. The Air Force has cited razor bumps in the past when making changes to its grooming policy. Heres how. The religious accommodation process isn't designed for individuals to play the God/conscience card to get around things they don't like. 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. Beard News in Air Force Copyright 2022 Beard Waiver - All Rights Reserved. The Air Force separated 610 Airmen for declining the once-mandated COVID-19 vaccination. 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.. 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. Does anyone have any information on how you actually get a religious exemption for shaving? 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. Contact the author here. 1 0 obj
Beards can also be seen as symbols of power, strength, and virility. Meanwhile, about 76.83% of the no-waiver group was White. 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. DAFI52-201 23 JUNE 2021 5 Written request for accommodation received by He also consulted with The Asatru Community, a nonprofit group that advocates for followers of Norse pagan religions. Theres a lot of things that we learn from the past and our ancestry, and its just carrying on the line, really.. The DAF will remove adverse information from records of those currently serving service members who sought. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. If youre willing to learn, we are willing to teach.. Airmen who need to grow out their facial hair in uniform can take heart that the top enlisted airman, Chief Master Sgt. He hopes to become a Gothi essentially an ordained priest and perhaps become an official Air Force chaplain. So I am not some expert I just watch YouTube videos of the teachings of Islam. The research studied the effect of shaving waivers on the careers of active duty male airmen. . Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. Don't lie about your belief. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. 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. 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. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. 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. Contact the author here. Here are some active soldiers who have been allowed to keep their facial hair. 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. 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. 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. In such cases, an airman's command could order an immediate removal of the turban, hijab or facial hair (although it's not clear how much time an airman would have to shave). "Sikhs are allowed to wear beards and turbans because it actually is a religious requirement of their faith that they do so. When requests are precluded by military necessity, commanders and supervisors should seek reasonable alternatives.. 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. Air Force Global Strike Command is launching a new study of cancer risks among Airmen and Guardians who worked near intercontinental ballistic missiles and is developing new resources for current and former service members and their families. It is unclear how many Norse pagans, Heathen, or Asatru followers are in the military, but they have become increasingly visible in recent years. This condition can appear in a person of any ethnicity but is predominantly seen in Blacks/African Americans, study authors wrote. Start with the chaplain, and work with them to route the request through your chain. 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. *!+zu[XAoC_:X/0{ v8iAU}JqQ.u`6fE_GJTBh$Wx)Vpw#7~rDeI0r\!H(NW|/bcPRHBe0tEyXYD q{ We are working to take away the stigma attached to airmen who have a medical need or a religious accommodation for facial hair. 3 0 obj
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. stream
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. 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. Sens. US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jackson Manske. x\[o~d/Sp|A|=hdDPwfvIQuDgg?ydtx.b`1K55'V#wLDP,(Wj 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. The Air Force plans to update its Air Force Instruction regulations governing dress and personal appearance and medical care management to reflect this change. Under the new guidelines . Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim. 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. But so far, the call for beards seems to fall on deaf ears. Tim Chacon/Air National Guard. There are plenty of smaller regulations detailing how religious beards and apparel should look in order to appear neat and conservative, the Air Force writes. The Air Force, citing privacy concerns, declined to identify how many airmen have obtained waivers based on religious exemptions but said the publicity surrounding approvals in recent years has . The Hammer of Thor is available to be placed on government headstones and markers in the United States. The same was true for airmen trying to hit the rank of staff sergeant (E-5). The Sikh Coalition said the Air Force regulation closely resembles the Army's. ~pkgEsHh,1%l|hJ For some pagans, it is seen as a way of honoring the gods and goddesses. The religious accommodation process is designed to accommodate individuals who can cite specific teachings, traditions, or texts that Air Force policies contradict. 2 0 obj
Last year, Capt. The demographics of the respondents closely match those of the Air Force in general, the study authors wrote. 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. The U.S. Air Force granted its first religious waivers to the military-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate this week. According to a statement from the Air Force, Senior Airman Dominic Varriale was granted the turban waiver in 2020. 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.. 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. 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 . 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 the words of the Hungarian scholar Goldziher, 'The history of religion . The Brig. The Air Force has granted several airmen permission to wear beards, turbans and the hijab for religious reasons in recent years. It was approved in September, which means Singh will soon head to basic training. But on July 18, the amn/nco/snco page posted a March 1 memo granting another Heathen airman, Staff Sgt. We speculate that these members, irrespective of race/ethnicity, may perceive this bias against shaving waivers and choose to leave the service earlier.. Get your daily fix of Air Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. Heathens hold religious services rooted in Norse paganism aboard aircraft carrier, 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. Religious exemptions to the rule allow for beards up to 2 inches long. 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. The Air Force also granted its first religious accommodation beard waiver, to a Muslim airman, in 2018. The Air Force encourages religious freedoms of service members as one of four pillars of resiliency to help build and sustain a strong and healthy workplace and community. Hopper,. They also make offerings anything from food to drinks to physical objects to their gods during a ceremony called a blot, he said. In December, The Air Force released a sweeping review which found that Black service members are disproportionately punished and promoted more slowly when compared to their White peers. Garrett Sopchak mythology, a collection of interesting stories but little more. 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. Another example of neat and conservative is color. Friday's regulation formalizes such waivers into a multi-step review process. 28, beards are generally allowed in the military "provided they are neatly trimmed, present a professional and well-groomed appearance, and are not excessive in bulk or length," with the caveat that beards may have to be removed for medical reasons or under orders from a superior. 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. A member of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has received the first-ever religious-related waiver, allowing him to wear a turban and keep a beard. 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 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. 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. The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group which works on behalf of Sikhs and other religious minorities in the military, praised the new regulation. The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group that has pushed for changes to the Air Forces dress and appearance policy, commended the move. And last December, a group of sailors on the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis held the Navys first Heathen lay service. We dont believe that theres a superior race, Sopchak said. There currently is no clear evidence showing that is the case, the study said. Click here. Ou5g(O5b5md8_ -+'.$Dvqx)YDTwXD`m_~G ArVT+`oo Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today. Beards cant exceed two inches if they do, they must be rolled and/or tied to achieve the required length, the regulations state. As described in sample memos included in the regulation, safety concerns might include wearing a gas mask or going within 25 feet of an operating aircraft. The updated Air Force Instruction, released Feb. 7, also formally allows Sikh airmen to wear turbans and Muslim women to wear hijabs. The regulation follows years of individual airmen and other service members receiving waivers for religious beards and apparel. &w\=xi~Wh^iz`b=)!]T;iMC.OXm(+N*uHe{5"@"o$n*uQI'JHyLij%O&Q3 .\nOemNKW2j2ttYK9sll?hyA/fQ/lF\
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hU f[6rx~ 8;GO yNb4.A`t`Wj 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. I am grateful to hear of this policy change, because it codifies in writing what I already know: The U.S. Air Force values the service and contribution of religious minorities like me, Singh said in a statement provided by the group. Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Times as senior reporter in March 2021. Her work has appeared in Air Force Magazine, Inside Defense, Inside Health Policy, the Frederick News-Post (Md. 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. It must also include a photo or description of the head covering, religious-affiliated item, grooming standard or personal appearance that is being requested. 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. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 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. 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. 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 . Airmen can use styling products on their beards, but petroleum-based products are not allowed while wearing a protective mask. This causes inflammation and a foreign body reaction, and over time, can result in scarring. +BEeB5JiTx William Bailey, received a waiver to grow a beard in March. 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. 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. 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. 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.. The Army granted a similar waiver last year, and beard exemptions have been granted for a growing number of Sikhs and Muslims though not atheists. 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. 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. 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. I will also add, the whole reason I want a beard is to help me with my faith during Ramadan. 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. This is a volunteers proposal.. Sopchak said that something about the Heathen religion felt more real to him. dx xE28;eN0ORG*sMhw_2iL!o@/dUKS0sD~-dd!7r.7ucOjP0GH#_&F%)wr-'
Service spokesperson Ann Stefanek said the proposal is under discussion by the Black/African American Employment Strategy Team, but hasnt been approved. 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 . Brown Jr. covered a broad range of topics with his additions to his Leadership Library in February. While the Air Force prohibits male members from growing beards, waivers are issued to airmen who,. Tell me youre an A1C without telling me youre an A1C. The advocacy group submitted a religious accommodation request for Singh in April 2019. requests requiring a waiver for uniform wear and grooming have largely fallen into one of three faith practices: the wear of a hijab; the wear of a beard; and the wear of a turban or under-turban/patka, with uncut beard and uncut hair. And in June, a Sikh airman received approval to wear a beard and turban. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. 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. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. The study authors found that the long wait for promotions applied to airmen of all races who had waivers. The hammer of Thor, also known as Mjlnir, in 2013 was added to the list of religious symbols authorized to be engraved on gravestones at military cemeteries such as Arlington National Cemetery. | See Beard News in Air Force for more information. 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. Press J to jump to the feed. Shaving Waiver stigma Air Force Medicine medical beard Al Dhafra . For AFR waiver processing instructions see AFMAN 36-8001, Participation and Training Procedures. 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. | %PDF-1.5
He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. Black men disproportionately suffer from the ingrown hairs that cause painful razor bumps, either precluding them from shaving more regularly or forcing them to suffer and, in some cases, endure scarring. The Reserve or Guard, before finally denying a request, will first consult with the Air Force personnel directorate and obtain a legal review from the Air Force. 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. 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. Comer wore a beard with a religious accommodation waiver, but beards in the Air Force may become far more common after a uniform board considers facial hair in November. But his community now meets in parks or homes to commemorate holidays such as Yule and the solstices. 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. 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. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. Hopper,. 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. With regards to promotions, the wait grows longer the more time airmen have shaving waivers. According to the Department of Defense Instruction 1300. 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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?. 3.1.2.3.1. Because its a faith that hasnt been practiced in about 1,000 years, he said, theres no set way to practice it. 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. Shaving waivers can hold back an airman's career, and since most airmen with waivers are Black, the regulations are effectively discriminatory. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to receive a religious accommodation beard waiver. He is now about two weeks into growing his beard, and is waiting for it to come in a little more before he can start shaping it. 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 . 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. It is is up to the wing commander (or the unit's equivalent of such a commander) to make the final decision. Abdul Rahman Gaitan in 2018 became the first Muslim airman to receive a beard waiver for religious reasons. I can answer the questions, so it is not really a problem but how is that even legal? Paragraph 1.5.2 changed to read: Submitting Requests for Religious, Gender , or Medical Waivers. 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 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. 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. Singh wanted to serve in the U.S. military to defend the country that had taken his family in, according to the Sikh Coalition. And in February, the Air Force officially updated its regulations to formally allow airmen to request religious beard waivers.