“So how is a Sikh going to put on his gas mask?”
That’s an excellent question that I honestly couldn’t answer. There are Sikhs in the British army. I wonder how they’ve handled the gas mask issue - presuming they have similar mask standards as we do. Don’t our submariner and special forces guys also grow beards? I wonder how the gas mask thing works for them? It would be interesting to know. In any event, Sikhs have been fighting Islamic terrorists for many centuries and would be an asset to the US military if these issues could be worked out.
Yes, special forces do grow beards. But frankly they aren’t a candidate for being gased. Gas would be used on large, concentrated groups of troops...so a lone warrior wandering around Afghanistan wouldn’t be a likely target. I doubt those guys even carry gas masks with them.
I don’t know how the British Sikhs handle the gas mask.
“So how is a Sikh going to put on his gas mask?”
Better question to start with: are surgeons ever issued pro masks? The few times Sikhs have surfaced in the military in my memory, they’re always medical officers who have much needed skills in specializations such as specialized surgery. They can make more money elsewhere and they are often among the best in their profession. Why would a sensible person care about a beard and a hat if it means better care for our servicemembers?