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Army gets 1st Sikh enlisted soldier since 1980s
AP via Yahoo News ^ | 11/11/2010 | AP via Yahoo News

Posted on 11/11/2010 6:57:06 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld

The U.S. Army has graduated its first Sikh (seek) enlisted man in a generation after granting a rare religious exemption for his turban and beard because the military needs his language skills.

The turban, unshorn hair and beard are tenets of the Sikh religion. Army policies since 1984 had effectively prevented Sikhs from enlisting by barring those items.

Spc. Simran Lamba was recruited under a special program seeking speakers of two Indian languages, Hindi and Punjabi. The 26-year Indian immigrant from New Delhi completed basic training Wednesday at Fort Jackson outside Columbia and became a U.S. citizen.

He will be a combat medic.

The Army has two Sikhs who became medical officers this year, but it hasn't had one in the enlisted ranks.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: enlistment; fortjackson; india; sikh; usarmy; usmilitary; ussoldier
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1 posted on 11/11/2010 6:57:12 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld

Sikh and you shall find.


2 posted on 11/11/2010 7:01:40 PM PST by GAB-1955 (I write books, love my wife, serve my nation, and believe in the Resurrection.)
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld

Would trust a Sikh watching my back.


3 posted on 11/11/2010 7:02:05 PM PST by allmost
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld

A Sikh is a great addition to any army, IMHO


4 posted on 11/11/2010 7:02:46 PM PST by muir_redwoods (Obama. Chauncey Gardiner without the homburg.)
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld

A Sikh is a great addition to any army, IMHO


5 posted on 11/11/2010 7:02:54 PM PST by muir_redwoods (Obama. Chauncey Gardiner without the homburg.)
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld

Good luck to him.


6 posted on 11/11/2010 7:03:23 PM PST by fieldmarshaldj (~"This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Amber Lamps !"~~)
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld

Sikhs make most excellent soldiers, and while having basically a peaceful word view (they do not proselytize) they are fearsome enemies to the Mohammedans.

While they are less than 2% of the Indian population, they make up about 15% of the military and 20% of the Indian Officer Corps.

Following is an example of the Sikh Martial and Musical spirit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8iUJ2yD27k

As a veteran, I can say that I would have no trouble whatsoever serving with Sikh Soldiers.


7 posted on 11/11/2010 7:09:46 PM PST by shibumi (Wily Pablo loves Flank Steak Tacos)
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld

Back in the 1960’s Sikhs had no trouble getting into the military. I know of one guy who got a letter in the mail one day just telling him to show up. He went were he was told and a rather angry man with sargent’s stripes told him “Take that dam thing off yer head!”. The next thing he knows he’s in Alabama flying helicopters. Apparently somebody in the army had heard of Gandhi and thought Sikhs were pacifists, so they made sure he wasn’t armed when they sent him out to fly dust off in Vietnam. He broke 3 Huey’s in 6 months so they let him go home where he got a nice safe job flying crop dusters in the valley. And so it goes.


8 posted on 11/11/2010 7:10:46 PM PST by InABunkerUnderSF (Anyone who has read Roman history knows a barbarian invasion when they see one.)
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld
Does he get a wear his Kirpan?
9 posted on 11/11/2010 7:12:18 PM PST by rmlew (You want change? Vote for the most conservative electable in your state or district.)
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld

Sikhs are cool.


10 posted on 11/11/2010 7:13:28 PM PST by fhayek
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To: rmlew

He can’t NOT


11 posted on 11/11/2010 7:15:50 PM PST by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld

If they don’t have any problems with killing hajis, then I don’t have any problems with them.


12 posted on 11/11/2010 7:18:31 PM PST by Future Snake Eater ("Get out of the boat and walk on the water with us!”--Sen. Joe Biden)
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld

13 posted on 11/11/2010 7:18:33 PM PST by WOBBLY BOB ( "I don't want the majority if we don't stand for something"- Jim Demint)
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld

14 posted on 11/11/2010 7:28:41 PM PST by WOBBLY BOB ( "I don't want the majority if we don't stand for something"- Jim Demint)
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld

A Fellow I know who runs a gun shop returned from lunch on day and was going over the paperwork of guns sold while he was gone.

He picks up a xerox of a DL and shouts who sold the gun to the raghead!

I took a look, explained to him the the man is a Sikh and that they are on our side.
When I told him that their religion says they must wear a kirpan at all times, he thought that was pretty cool.


15 posted on 11/11/2010 7:33:41 PM PST by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: muir_redwoods

Indira Gandhi would beg to differ :-) But I’m glad the Army made the exception for him and his turban does look pretty cool with the Army emblem on it.


16 posted on 11/11/2010 7:34:09 PM PST by rabidralph
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld

Awesome. The Sikhs are powerful allies in our new crusade. They make for a fearsome enemy.


17 posted on 11/11/2010 7:37:14 PM PST by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld

Sikhs are fiesty. The county cops had to break up a fight in the local temple’s parking lot. One guy knocked another guy’s turban off and , apparently, that’s a green light for a brawl.


18 posted on 11/11/2010 7:37:42 PM PST by Thrownatbirth (.....Iraq Invasion fan since '91.)
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld

Would venture a guess that this fellow graduated top of the class...


19 posted on 11/11/2010 7:40:32 PM PST by moovova (Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.)
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To: WOBBLY BOB

We need more warriors like this. We ought to bring in a goodly number and surround Dearborn.

BTW what happened to deporting criminals. We ought to have the deportable criminals farmed out to Chinese prisons. It would be cheaper than taking care of them here. Outsource the deportable criminals.

Are Sikhs the warriors whose sword must taste blood before being retuned to the sheath?

Was the Gunga Din a Sikh?


20 posted on 11/11/2010 7:49:19 PM PST by Surrounded_too
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