This week, the US military eased mandates on troops in uniform maintaining a ‘clean-cut’ appearance which has prevented service by devout Sikh Americans whose religion requires men don traditional turbans and beards.(Stock photo by MDGovPics)
The new policy released by the Pentagon, calls on the US military to “accommodate religious requests of service members unless they have an adverse effect on military readiness, mission accomplishment, unit cohesion, and good order and discipline.”
In the past, the only three American Sikhs in the military have called for changes to be made that would allow more Indian-Americans to join the military without compromising their religious beliefs and practices.
While the Sikh Coalition and the American Sikh community have praised the changes, they are still seeking to eradicate the formal ban on Sikh articles of faith.
Other countries, including Britain and Canada, allow Sikhs donning traditional articles of faith to serve in uniform.
To read more about the policy changes, go to the article at Raw Story.