Why call them uniformed if they’re not going to be uniform?
Do the women get to wear beards, too?
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Army has taken new steps to make it easier for Sikhs, Muslims and other religious minorities to obtain approval to dress and groom themselves according to their religious customs while serving in the military, a spokesman said on Thursday.
Army Secretary Eric Fanning, in a memorandum signed this week, revised the uniform policy to set appearance standards for people seeking religious accommodations to wear beards, turbans and head scarfs.
The new rules also enable brigade-level commanders to approve the religious accommodations, an authority that previously rested with the Army secretary. Denial of a religious accommodation may be appealed as high as the Army secretary.
An approved religious accommodation will continue throughout the soldier’s career and may not be revoked or modified without approval of the Army secretary, the memo says. The accommodation will not affect job specialties or duty locations, except in a few limited cases, the memo says.
“Our goal is to balance soldier readiness and safety with the accommodation of our soldiers’ faith practices, and this latest directive allows us to do that,” Lieutenant Colonel Randy Taylor said in a statement.
The new rules were welcomed by the Sikh Coalition.
“We are pleased with the progress that this new policy represents for religious tolerance and diversity,” said coalition Legal Director Harsimran Kaur. MORE
Stands to reason, the Army Brass has already embraced aiding and abetting the enemy and treason, by their inaction toward Bergdahl (not to mention acceptance of perversion).
Perhaps now a carefully selected silk scarf to add just a ‘touch of color’ to those drab BDU’s will be approved for those religious adherents who take their communion from the end of a penis.
Everything old is new again. They tried this in the 70s, it did not work than and it will not work now.
HORSESHIT! 😡
Good luck with those protective masks when chemical agents start getting tossed your way. I’m not wasting my epi pen on your worthless ass.
Just another kneepad wearing, cocksucking, obama SJW action that does nothing to protect America.
there will never be true balance, (“Our goal is to balance soldier readiness and safety with the accommodation of our soldiers’ faith practices) unless they are allowed to marry their goats and camels.
Beards are permitted as religious accommodation?
Cool. I’m a Viking. Odin’s law requires I have a beard.
What’s that? These rules are only for the benefit of non-whites, so I can’t use them?
Well color me shocked.
We have Sikh in my line of work. Can’t post them where they might need to Don S.C.B.A. But yeah, exact same wages.
Doesn’t “uniform” mean, or imply, something?
Or is this another case of “it means whatever I wish it to mean” bullshit?
Well, the Armed Forces have been a breeding ground for Social nonsense since earlier in the past century. Hopefully, this won’t cause as much damage (and loss of life) as the “green fuels and lubricants” nonsense.
izlamo delenda est …
There should be NO Muslim troops in any branch of the military.
Next step, acceptance of sharia law for them.
Can’t wait for sanity to return to the country!!
Do the fags (of whatever color, sex, or national origin) get to wear evening gowns?
izlamo delenda est …
Is there any way to get DJT in there any sooner? While there is still some America left?
Huh, first time a soldier with a beard gets a face wound, shit’ll change. I no longer recognize the U.S. Military, it’s changed too damn much since I served, and not for the better.
It’s just that bastard Barry making America more unrecognizable
More BS for Trump to reverse. There are actually legitimate reasons why beards are not permitted. In prison they hide shiv weapons, razor blades etc.
If you don’t want to conform to our military standards, don’t join. Likewise if you want to have a beard don’t break the law.
Time to force flag officers to wear clown shoes and red rubber noses.
Amen Grayjohn. No muzzies need apply ever, ever, ever… We don’t want you, we don’t need you and eff you and your shariah law.
And a Navy Chaplain, Captain John Fahs, with 19 stellar years of service, was recently disciplined for using the name of Jesus in his prayers???
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/04/22/navy-chaplain-censored-dont-pray-in-name-jesus.html This shit needs to stop on January 20th.
Funny, the military never offered or had to make accommodations for Jewish members. Mormon member still wear the uniform as is (even though I’ll never figure out how a conscientious objector joins the military in the first place). Why do Dems and libtards feel the need to help people who despise them. Tom above is right though, and thankfully the first gas attack their in or fire they fight (more Navy there) they’ll fail to get a good seal on their mask or SCBA and choke. Hopefully, their battle buddy or shipmate isn’t killed rescuing them.
Don’t put a Bible on your desk, though, because that’ll get you a dishonorable discharge.
In 2009, I was in OBLC with an orthodox jew. He wore a little camo pattern yamaka under his uniform headgear, and that was it.
When we were in the field, I saw him doing his morning prayers wearing tefillin, but he took them off afterward.
Oh, and he got kosher MREs.
But apart from the above, you couldn’t tell him apart from the rest of us. Well, except for the accent.