Under these new rules, soldiers can apply for religious accommodations to wear turbans, beards, unshorn hair, and hijabs, granted that they do not interfere with their military tasks (e.g. operating equipment and weapons).
Applications are reviewed and approved within 30 days (or 60, in more limited cases), given they meet the needed criteria. Once they are approved, the soldier will be able to wear any of the aforementioned for the rest of their military career.
It’s important to note that this isn’t a first in US military history. It’s simply a different branch of the army (the Air Force) making changes to the dress code and making things easier than they were before.
Those in service were allowed to wear turbans and other religious accommodations before the 1980s. Later, these rights were revoked. It wasn’t until 2009 that talks on the matter of serving with a beard and religious apparel while in uniform were jump-started again.
It's in accordance with their religion, you know, that we're supposed to have freedom of here in Amerikkka?
It's in accordance with their religion, you know, that we're supposed to have freedom of here in Amerikkka?