The Pentagon has approved a new policy that will allow troops to wear turbans and other religious clothing and engage in religious observances.
Until now there has been no set policy in the military to allow accommodations for religion.
Soldiers must apply for a waiver to be able to wear their religious garment or engage in a specific religious activity, which the military says they will take on a case-by-case basis.
The Pentagon has approved a new policy that will allow troops to seek waivers to wear religious clothing, seek prayer time or engage in religious practices.Defense officials say the waivers will be decided on a case-by-case basis and will depend on where the service member is stationed and whether the change would affect military readiness or the mission.
Until now there has been no consistent policy across the military to allow accommodations for religion. Now, for example, Jewish troops can seek a waiver to wear a yarmulke, or Sikhs can seek waivers to wear a turban and grow a beard.
Others can request specific prayer times or ask that they be allowed to carry prayer beads or other items.
The policy also says that service members can choose not to recognize any religion, according to NBC News.
According to Defense Department statistics obtained by NBC, there are only three Sikh Americans in the military. There are about 3,700 Muslims. 6,300 Buddhists, and 1,500 Wiccans.
The directive stresses that “the importance of uniformity and adhering to standards, of putting unit before self, is more significant and needs to be carefully evaluated when considering each request for accommodation,” according to NBC.
We are AMERICANS first and foremost NOT some damned HYPHENATED AMERICANS. Either YOUR ARE or YOU ARE NOT an AMERICAN.
Bull$#%&!@*!
No, this is not right! What is wrong with our Country? Has Obama truly obliterated our way of life? This is sick and wrong! When will Congress stand up to this evil man?
Give me a break! You want to serve? Then serve like everyone else!!! Weenie ass bitches making these damn new rules to be PC!
It is a very bad idea to allow ANY military person to be “out of uniform” no matter what the occasion. The word “uniform” means exactly the same”. How would YOU like to bunk next to one of these turban-heads? These guys have already killed enough of our personnel already and is the main reason why our guys are coming home from combat with PTSD. The next reason is having females on the front lines. They don’t belong in combat units. PERIOD! Allowing them to be in a squad or platoon causes more morale damage that anyone understands unless you’ve been there. There IS a place for females in the military but it is too distracting to have them in proximity with testosterone charged men where they have enough to worry about than duking over who is screwing the female “buddies” Definitely bad business.
BS, the military has no leadership
Disgrace!
Rules and regulations apply to all.
Really!!!!????? This is absolutly disgusing! They take out Bibles from the grounds of bases, they remove chapels and the pastors, they tell their people not to pray or preach Christianity but no worries! Islam is O.K as we ALL clearly it is NOT!!!! I am so friggen angry.
This is sad….it’s an all volunteer military….you sign up, you obey the CURRENT uniform regs as AMERICANS, and not what our muslim anti-military commander-in-chief and his spineless SECDEF deems “politically correct”!!!! First, forbidding the show of Christianity/prayer, then removing the words “so help me God” from the Oath, and now this! This is beyond sad — it’t outrageous!