‘Beard poses no barrier to military service’: Sikh Council reacts US Army’s new grooming coverage, no permanent shaving waivers

US Army launched new grooming guidelines, no limitless shaving waivers. (Photo: US Army)

Sikh Council has reacted to the new grooming coverage that the US Army introduced, barring permanent shaving waivers past spiritual lodging. Soldiers may face expulsion in the event that they want shaving exemptions for greater than 12 months over a two-year interval, in accordance to the new guidelines. “This is about uniformity, discipline and standards, and this is about training,” Steve Warren, a service spokesperson, stated.Sikh Coalition issued an announcement reacting to the grooming coverage and stated it has been demonstrated time and time once more that sustaining a beard poses no barrier to succesful and honorable military service.“Over the course of our greater than 15 years of labor to help Sikhs with spiritual lodging and struggle for coverage modifications inside all branches of the military, it has been demonstrated time and time once more that sustaining a beard poses no barrier to succesful and honorable military service,” it said, adding that Sikh soldiers would not be affected by the policy as religious accommodations have been kept in mind. But the coalition said that it would disproportionately harm individuals with medical accommodations, Black men, and South Asian men.“We have seen elsewhere that policies that discriminate against those with a medical need to shave are often also used to infringe upon the rights of Sikhs who maintain their kesh (uncut hair) as an article of faith. While religious accommodations remain exempt from this new guidance for now, the Sikh Coalition stands in solidarity with soldiers who may ultimately be kicked out of the Army by this new shaving policy, which will disproportionately affect Black and South Asian men—especially those with medical conditions like pseudofolliculitis barbae,” it stated. “We stay dedicated to working alongside different marginalized teams as we proceed to struggle for full equality of alternative for all certified people throughout the Department of Defense,” it stated.