Airman Harpreetinder Singh, who joined the Air Force in 2017, was unable to follow the practice due to the military branch's grooming and dress codes.
A
Sikh airman has been allowed by the United
States Air Force to serve with a beard, turban and unshorn hair,
making him the first active-duty airman to be granted such a
religious accommodation.
Airman
Harpreetinder Singh, who joined the Air Force in 2017, was unable to
follow the practice due to the military branch's grooming and dress
codes.
The
Air Force granted him an accommodation after Bajwa gained
representation from the Sikh
American Veterans Alliance, and the American Civil Liberties
Union (ACLU), NBC news reported.
Bajwa,
a crew chief at McChord Air Force Base, Washington, is now the first
active airman who has been authorised to adhere to Sikh religious
grooming and dress principles while serving in the Air Force.
"I'm
overjoyed that the Air Force has granted my religious accommodation,
said Bajwa.
"Today,
I feel that my country has embraced my Sikh heritage, and I will be
forever grateful for this opportunity," he said.
Bajwa
says be initially asked if he could request a waiver during tech
training a year ago in Charleston, South Carolina, and said he was
never told "no" by leadership.
"I'm
extremely happy I can practice my faith and serve my country,"
said Bajwa.
A
first-generation American, Bajwa was born to an immigrant family.
In
2016, Captain Simratpal Singh, a decorated Sikh-American officer and
combat veteran, received a long-term religious accommodation from the
US Army to serve with long hair, a beard, and turban. The Army
updated its regulations the following year directing commanders to
allow accommodations for observant Sikhs.
Heather
L Weaver, a senior staff attorney for the ACLU, praised the Air
Force's decision.
"No
one should have to choose between following their faith or serving
their country," Weaver said.
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