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Sikhs Challenge U.S. Army's Ban on Turbans, Beards

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  • Sikhs Challenge U.S. Army's Ban on Turbans, Beards

    Fox

    Sikhs Challenge U.S. Army's Ban on Turbans, Beards
    Sunday, June 14, 2009


    NEW YORK — Military service is in Capt. Kamaljit Singh Kalsi's blood.

    His father and grandfather were part of India's Air Force. His great-grandfather served in the army in India under the British. So when U.S. Army recruiters talked to him during his first year of medical school, he readily signed up.

    But his plans to go on active duty in July are now on hold. An Army policy from the 1980s that regulates the wearing of religious items would mean he would need to shave his beard and remove the turban he wears in accordance with his religious precepts.

    Kalsi and another Sikh man with the same concerns, Second Lt. Tejdeep Singh Rattan, are the centerpieces of an advocacy campaign launched by the Sikh Coalition as it tries to persuade the Army to let them serve without sacrificing their articles of faith.

    "I'm an American, there's no reason why I can't serve," Kalsi, 32, said.

    The Army has a long-standing interest in how its members carry themselves, with policies that ban exotic hair colors, long fingernails or certain colors of lipstick. Army officials declined to comment on the reasoning behind its policy that would force the Sikh men to give up their religious displays. Sikhs who were active-duty military when the policy was adopted were allowed to continue serving without shaving their beards or removing their turbans.

    The Pentagon and other military institutions wouldn't comment. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, an advocacy group, was unfamiliar with the policy's origins.

    As the Sikh diaspora has spread across the world, the issue of turbans and beards on Sikhs in uniform has come up in a number of places. In New York City, for example, Sikh traffic officers took successful legal action to force the city to allow them to wear turbans and beards.

    The Sikh community is hopeful it will win the policy appeal; in an April 29 letter to the Sikh Coalition, the director of the Army's Human Resources Policy Directorate said senior leadership was aware of the issue and was gathering information to make a decision. Toni Delancey, a spokeswoman for Army personnel, said the appeals are under review.

    Sikh Coalition executive director Amardeep Singh said he hopes that not only are Kalsi and Rattan allowed to serve, but that the rule will be changed for all turbaned and bearded Sikhs who would want to enlist.

    "Our country's military needs to reflect what America is right now," he said. "It's a diverse country, it's a country that puts forth for the rest of the world the values of liberty, particularly religious liberty."

    Allowing Sikhs to serve with beard and turban "will send a very strong message to the rest of the world that we are who we say we are."

    The Sikh faith requires adherents to follow certain rules, among them that hair is not to be cut and for men, the wearing of a turban. Both Kalsi, an emergency room doctor, and Rattan, a dental surgeon, say they were following those rules when they were recruited and never had any problems or were told they wouldn't be able to serve with their beards or turbans.

    Both said they raised the issue over the years and were reassured, and that it wasn't until the end of last year when they were told they would not be allowed to serve as they were.

    The idea that he would have to choose between his country and his faith is hard for Rattan. "I'm offering my life, but I'm not willing to sacrifice my religious beliefs," he said.

    Singh said it would be in the military's best interest to lets Sikhs serve. The community has a long tradition of military service, both in India, where most of the faith's adherents are, as well as in the countries where Sikhs have made their homes, like Canada and the United Kingdom.

    "As part of our religious heritage, we're taught that we have an obligation to actively serve and protect the communities in which we live," he said.

    In Canada, regulations for the armed forces allow Sikhs to keep their turbans and beards, and even determine what colors the different military branches can wear. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police allows turbans as well.

    The British Army allows Sikhs to generally keep their articles of faith. For Sikhs who serve as civilian police officers, The British Police Sikh Association is pushing for development of bulletproof turbans. That would allow Sikhs to be part of firearms units, since safety helmets don't fit over them.

    Sikhs have a long history with the U.S. military, serving in World Wars I and II, the Korean and Vietnam wars, and in the Persian Gulf.

    One of them is Army Col. Gopal Khalsa, who is retiring in November after more than three decades in uniform, all of those with a turban and beard.

    His distinctive appearance has required some conversation and explanation at times, but it's never been a problem for him, or gotten in the way of carrying out his duties or wearing his military equipment.

    "Of course there's a lot of looks, but once people get to know you and you're doing the job, that falls by the wayside," Khalsa said.

    He thought a rule change would be a good idea, saying the presence of Sikh soldiers would be an asset in places where the United States is currently carrying out military operations, like Afghanistan.

    "The Army would be gaining successful, useful soldiers," he said.

    Kalsi hopes he can be one of those soldiers, and serve his country as generations of his family have done.

    "That's what we connect with, that's part of our heritage," he said. "It links us to our past and our present and hopefully the future."
    Interesting.
    Aut vincere aut mori

  • #2
    I can't understand why the military prefers clean shaven men with short haircuts and readily removable headgear.

    That's so you gas mask will seal properly around your face.
    Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

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    • #3
      I understand Sikhs are allowed to wear their turbans in many armies, including Singapore's. I'm not sure about heavy beards.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Merlin View Post
        I understand Sikhs are allowed to wear their turbans in many armies, including Singapore's. I'm not sure about heavy beards.
        I have no problem with it, however I wonder if a compromise could be made in terms of allowing Sikhs to maintain their beards and turbans while serving as long as the beards aren't too large and the same goes for the turbans also.

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        • #5
          One of them is Army Col. Gopal Khalsa, who is retiring in November after more than three decades in uniform, all of those with a turban and beard.
          Not on active duty. He is a Army Reserve Chaplain. There is a Reserve Jewish Rabbi, Col Jacob Goldstein that has a beard. Both came in before the facial hair ban and the waiver is in effect as long as the chaplain doesn't have a break in service.

          Back in the 80s the Navy allowed beards, except for those assigned to USMC units. That went away because of Gas Mask fit issues.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Gun Grape View Post
            .. Back in the 80s the Navy allowed beards, ....
            I think some navy senior officers have a long proud tradition of wearing beards (perhaps until the need for gas masks comes along).

            It seems to follow the tradition of commercial sea captains.

            But I stand corrected, as this is just a vague impression of mine from seeing old historic photos.
            Last edited by Merlin; 15 Jun 09,, 04:13.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Merlin View Post
              I think some navy senior officers have a long proud tradition of wearing beards (perhaps until the need for gas masks comes along).
              I heard you're not allowed to shave unless they give you enough water for specifically that. The water they give you is for only drinking, nothing else. Maybe someone in the navy can elaborate or correct me.

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              • #8
                How does the beard and turban effect one's fighting capabilities?
                If so, a huge portion of the Indian Army should be combat ineffective.

                Here's a small piece about the Sikh's combat experience in the British Indian Army.http://www.emgonline.co.uk/news.php?news=5512
                Last edited by Deltacamelately; 15 Jun 09,, 07:53.
                sigpicAnd on the sixth day, God created the Field Artillery...

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Deltacamelately View Post
                  How does the beard and turban effect one's fighting capabilities?
                  If so, a huge portion of the Indian Army should be combat ineffective.
                  turban impedes wear of the kevlar and beard interred with gas mask seal.

                  so i would say vs shrapnel or nbc threats a large portion of the indian army would be ineffective

                  however i thing an arrangement can be reach where sikhs can wear beards and turbans in positions where they are not likely to require wearing kevlar/promask

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                  • #10
                    If we are to give in to every worldly request to submit to religious wear for specific groups you could end up with a uniform that includes a kilt ,turban, seal boots,spears, boomerangs,and beaver pelts, all dangling from various appendages and hidden National uniforms. Imagine what the ration pack would consist off......"man",I don,t want to go there.:))

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Exarecr View Post
                      If we are to give in to every worldly request to submit to religious wear for specific groups you could end up with a uniform that includes a kilt ,turban, seal boots,spears, boomerangs,and beaver pelts, all dangling from various appendages and hidden National uniforms. Imagine what the ration pack would consist off......"man",I don,t want to go there.:))
                      I'm down with the women wearing the kilts and seal boots ;):))

                      But please, let us carry on with the spear

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by RustyBattleship View Post
                        I can't understand why the military prefers clean shaven men with short haircuts and readily removable headgear.

                        That's so you gas mask will seal properly around your face.
                        Yep, standard procedure you have to have an airtight fit on your Scott air packs. Now days breathing apparatus are "positive" in other words air forced through the masks.

                        The short hair and clean shaven face is SOP and perhaps maybe it has to do with controling scalp infections such as lice or any other topical diseases. If one had long hair or a beard you just gave your advisary a place to grab you by if in close hand to hand situations.

                        Turbins? well you cant fit them under your standard brain bucket outside the fact that the US is very strict about their dress codes as well as a few other nations ,military's. And IMO I have yet to see any bullet proof turbins that will hold up to your standard brain bucket. They are not going to change this policy anytime in the near future but I do hope they can reach some kind of even ground.
                        Last edited by Dreadnought; 15 Jun 09,, 13:33.
                        Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.

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                        • #13
                          In the CF, you can wear turbins and have beards if and only if that under combat conditions that you can wear helments and put on NBC gear.

                          That essentially means that at home, you can wear your turbin and have a beard but once deployed, it means haircut and clean shaven and helment replaces the turbin.

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                          • #14
                            I am concerned with the idea of a slippery slope. If this were allowed, where would it end? Would Wiccans who want a split tongue be allowed?
                            Aut vincere aut mori

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                            • #15
                              I sense a market for turban shaped kevlar helmets.
                              "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

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