Sikh/American soldier allowed to wear his beard and turban

In a precedent-setting ruling issued last week, Capt. Simratpal Singhwill be allowed to keep his beard and turban while serving in the U.S. Army.

A U.S. Army captain who sued the U.S. military for discrimination in March has won the right to continue serving on active duty while allowing him to continue wearing his turban and beard as required by his Sikh beliefs.

The U.S. Army released its decision on March 31 to grant Sikh/American Simratpal Singh “religious accommodation” to the rules against facial hair and headwear,

“My military service continues to fulfill a lifelong dream,” Singh, a West Point graduate who earned a Bronze Star in Afghanistan, said in a press release. “My faith, like many of the soldiers I work with, is an integral part of who I am. I am thankful that I no longer have to make the choice between faith and service to our nation.”

By all accounts, Capt. Singh is a model soldier: A West Point graduate, a Ranger, one of the Army's elite fighting units, and a recipient of the Bronze Star 

Starting in December, U.S. Army Captain Simratpal Singh received a series of temporary accommodations from the military to brandish a beard and turban — outward displays of faith worn by most Sikh men — through March 2016. Although the Army has granted dress code exceptions for off-duty Sikh officers since 1984, the accommodation marked the first time in 10 years the military has allowed an active-duty Sikh solider to grow a beard for religious reasons.

“In a political context where minorities are being marginalized and attacked routinely, it is critical that our nation’s largest institutions and employers — like the U.S. military — show the country that America embraces diversity,” Simran Jeet Singh, the Senior Religion Fellow for the Sikh Coalition, told The Huffington Post.

The Army press release states that “the Army intends to gather information to develop uniform standards for religious accommodations” which will most likely affect a separate lawsuit filed last week by three other Sikh/American soldiers.

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