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.
what a $#%&!@*ing joke that didn’t happen when I was in so much for moral
Naturally with an illegal alien, vicious America hating Muslim like BHO in the White House, things like this will grow rampant. I’m waiting till the black flag of Islam is raised over the White House by ZERO himself.
That is one of the “stupidest” things I have ever seen!
Hey ain’t they the one’s who did 9/11
Hell then let’s have sleeve tattoos back and beards and everything!
BULL$#%&!@*!
It should be a set of rules this is the U.S. military, you will conform to the rules of the U.S. military or you may leave…now granted there should be exceptions, as far as opt’s go to be able to blend in to your surrounding area, to infiltrate as a ruse. but in your basic training camps, you will conform or you will leave. period…stop kissing ass. pratice your religion on your free time.
HELL NO
WTF
$#%&!@* that they get no respect. this isn’t jihad nation. that’s bull$#%&!@*