Posted on 06/14/2009 6:04:43 PM PDT by Steelfish
Sikhs Challenge U.S. Army's Ban on Turbans, Beards Sunday, June 14, 2009
NEW YORK — Military service is in Capt. Kamaljit Singh Kalsi's blood.
His father and grandfather were part of India's Air Force. His great-grandfather served in the army in India under the British. So when U.S. Army recruiters talked to him during his first year of medical school, he readily signed up.
But his plans to go on active duty in July are now on hold. An Army policy from the 1980s that regulates the wearing of religious items would mean he would need to shave his beard and remove the turban he wears in accordance with his religious precepts.
Kalsi and another Sikh man with the same concerns, Second Lt. Tejdeep Singh Rattan, are the centerpieces of an advocacy campaign launched by the Sikh Coalition as it tries to persuade the Army to let them serve without sacrificing their articles of faith.
"I'm an American, there's no reason why I can't serve," Kalsi, 32, said.
The Army has a long-standing interest in how its members carry themselves, with policies that ban exotic hair colors, long fingernails or certain colors of lipstick. Army officials declined to comment on the reasoning behind its policy that would force the Sikh men to give up their religious displays. Sikhs who were active-duty military when the policy was adopted were allowed to continue serving without shaving their beards or removing their turbans.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
They have a hell of a reputation as good soldiers in every way.
I was in during the Zumwalt yrs. I remember that. However, if the Army doesn’t allow this now...
Trust me, neither one will affect the combat efficiency of a Sikh warrior.
agreed
Has any branch of our military tested Kevlar turbans against the standard helmets and other issued headgear?
The “turban type troops” would never be without their Most Protective headgear.
I'll wager that a turban has more “stopping power” than a ball-cap or Dress uniform “class A” head gear.
Heck, our Turban troops would have their Kevlar turbans far more often than other troops have their helmets. Ergo, on average they'd be More Protected!
Steel turbans?
My dad has pictures of two Sikhs he served with in the 70’S and both are wearing turbans. Doesn’t seem to have been a problem then.
Ditto to all who said it, give Sikhs a pass.
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds”
In cases like this, a well regulated military can make small concessions for a greater good.
These guys are good to have, and they are no danger to good order and discipline.
Steel turbans? Exactly.
Really, this is a matter for Congress since the Supremes have ruled that in relation to military matters Congress has virtual plenary authority on the subject. Some years ago, Congress allowed the use of yarmulkes after a certain Jewish recruit lost his case to wear it as a matter of constitutional right.
Check out the Sikhs service with the British. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Saragarhi They’re no friends to the muslims and they have a military tradition that demands respect. I’d say let them in.
The Gurkha's also So what!!Our military has standards they either comply or get the hell out and go home. It is crazy to bend the rules for these people.
Sikhs are generally very good soldiers. The only half credible excuse for kicking them out over non-sealing protective masks is nonsense, as a large percentage of black male soldiers have facial skin that will not seal masks either, because of Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB).
Uniformity in the military is NOT so that militarists can get all excited about having an army of clones. It is solely for logistics and supply, neither of which are impacted by Sikh religious obligations.
However, Sikhs are in many cases far *better* soldiers than the ordinary good soldier. They are orderly, disciplined, professional, and responsible. This is why they tend to dominate the Indian army as a whole, and the Indian Sikh regiment is one of their most highly decorated units.
“The Battle of Saragarhi is considered one of the greatest stories of collective bravery in human history. The contingent of twenty-one soldiers from the 36th Sikhs was led by Havildar Ishar Singh, and held off an Afghan attack of 10,000 men for several hours.
“All 21 Sikh soldiers chose to fight to the death instead of surrendering. In recognition of their supreme sacrifice, the British Parliament rose to pay them respect, and each one of them was awarded the Indian Order of Merit (equivalent to the Victoria Cross).
“The battle has been compared to the Battle of Thermopylae, where a small Greek force faced a large Persian army of Xerxes (480 BC).”
I'll parlay that wager with one Betting that our Sikh troopers would grab a steel pot, when faced with “Incoming Arty”.
Its not crazy to bend rules. Part of the exercise of executive authority is knowing that rules will have to be bent occasionally. No rules were designed to apply to all possible contingencies. When circumstances exceed normal parameters, then it is prudent to bend rules.
This sort of thing runs through all true experience of military service.
The new MICH helmets are about as comfortable as you can get.
And this guy needs to shutup and move out or get kicked out. What a freakin’ turd. The military has well-known standards, especially if he’s an O-3. He’s just trying to make waves. My old Battalion Commander would have a field day with this idiot.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.