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.
Our military leaders are too much like our president….. unfortunate. I cannot imagine what would have happened if someone would have tried this c**p when I was in the military.
October 13, 1995, SUN NATIONAL STAFF
WASHINGTON — A U.S. soldier faces punishment as early as today for refusing to wear the blue patch and cap of a United Nations peacekeeper.
Spc. Michael New is the first U.S. soldier to refuse to wear the U.N. insignia, according to Army spokesman Lt. Col. Bill Harkey. How the Army handles his case will set a precedent for dealing with breaches of an increasingly controversial and frequent part of military service — assignment to the United Nations.
“““““““““““““““““““““““` A patriotic American soldier is being court martialed for refusing to wear a United Nations uniform and to serve under a foreign commander. When U.S. Army Specialist Michael New took the oath to defend the United States from its enemies and to uphold the U.S. Constitution, he meant exactly that. He had no idea that he would be asked to ignore that oath in order to serve the United Nations, wearing UN insignia and following orders from a foreign UN commander. But that is exactly what happened in August. Michael New was serving in Germany when he was told that his unit was to be sent to Macedonia for UN “peacekeeping” operations. In Macedonia, he would be expected to take directions from a foreign officer and wear UN garb. His mission heading stated that his unit would act to “make the UN presence known.”
“I have a problem with that, because I am not UN. I explained this to my lieutenant, and told him, ‘Sir, I don’t think I should have to wear a UN arm band or a UN beret. I’m enlisted in the U.S. Army; I am not a U.N. soldier. I have taken no vow to the UN; I have taken an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States of America from enemies foreign and domestic. I regard the UN as a separate power…. Where does my oath say that I have to wear UN insignia?'”
New offered to serve in Macedonia as a medic and promised to help his fellow soldiers, but said that he would not wear the UN uniform because of his oath to serve the United States. His officers still insisted that he wear the uniform and follow their orders, regardless of his oath. For this he is being court martialled.
CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS, WEAR YOUR CROSSES. BE A WITNESS OF THE LORD OUR GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS SON OF GOD
The new Muslim army?????
PINK SLIP SOLDIERS FEAR NOT YOU WILL BE BACK IF YOU CHOOSE TO AFTER 2016. OBAMA WILL HAVE BEEN RUN OUT OF WASHINGTON DC
this is a outrage our American military who are Christian’s do not have the same rights to have ministers or pastors ,priest to preach Chirst and God’s love also our Jewish brothers and sisters our in the same boat. Our Chaplain”s are told not to preach about are Savior. and Lord or God so what give them the right to grant other religions to wear turbans and etc which should be a fundamental religious right for all to practice what they believe in.
NO!!!!!
ZIEG HEIL
Oh! But OUR soldiers aren’t aloud to pray while on duty?????????
Our Officers should stand there ground when in the military you go by the rules an not bend then to pamper these idiots this is the United States not there country abid by our rules or get out of our Country Period