Blake Hall
Should you be able to wear a turban while serving in the United States military? That’s the question.
And if you posed it to the Sikh Coalition — a group that has stood firm over the years in opposing the Pentagon ban on facial hair and religious headgear — they’d say “yes”.
Their stance was bolstered back in the early part of the summer, when a U.S. Supreme Court decision decided it wasn’t just for an employer (in the particular case, it was popular retailer Abercrombie & Fitch) to refuse to hire someone based on their religious attire (i.e. a hijab or headscarf).
“What I’m anticipating with this decision is that we will have a move in this country to recognize the right of individuals from different religious backgrounds to live in an America that does not discriminate against them on the basis of how they appear,” says Simran Jeet Singh, the senior religion fellow for the Sikh Coalition.
More from NPR:
As a general rule, the Department of Defense prohibits facial hair and the wearing of religious headgear among service members, though it offers “accommodation” on a case-by-case basis in recognition of “sincerely held beliefs.”
Such waivers, however, are given only when they would not undermine “military readiness, unit cohesion, good order, discipline, health and safety, or any other military requirement.”
The three men pictured above are the only Sikhs serving in the U.S. military. That’s three out of 1.4 million.
Capt. Tajdeep Rattan, Maj. Kamaljeet Kalsi and Cpl. Simranpreet Lamba are all in the Army, and in noncombat positions (Rattan is a dentist).
To hear audio of the entire NPR story, click below: