Pentagon relaxes rules on religious apparel, facial hair

Fox News ^ | January 22, 2014 | Fox News

[maddog55]

The Pentagon on Wednesday relaxed its rules governing the religious apparel and facial hair that troops can wear or maintain while in uniform, permitting in some cases tattoos, body piercings and other religious items.

The Defense Department issued the changes via a directive Wednesday afternoon. As part of the military's changing approach to making religious accommodations, the new policy will allow service members to sport different kinds of religious garb and hairstyles so long as they don't have an "adverse effect on military readiness, mission accomplishment, unit cohesion, and good order and discipline."

The changes create several new categories, besides clothing, of religion-based features that can be displayed by troops. These now include facial hair, such as beards, and religious tattoos and piercings.

Immediate commanders will be allowed to grant accommodations to service members in some cases; in others, these items will have to be approved at a higher level.

[The_Reader_David]

Actually, Sikh men are not to cut their beards, nor are Orthodox Christian priests or deacons (which covers some folks in the Chaplains Corps) if they follow the tradition strictly.

[cookcounty]

So if guys can wear beards, turbans and yamulkas, are we going to have troops wearing big crosses dangling from their necks as well?

If not, why not?

The whole idea of such displays is ridiculous. But if it’s going to be allowed for one group, it’s obviously got to be allowed for all groups.

[cookcounty]

It’s very difficult to properly seal a gas mask while adorned with a bushy beard.

That’s the reason given as to why we had to shave when I was in the Army (43 years ago).

I am unaware of any advances in mask technology that eliminates this problem.