WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force has granted a religious accommodation to an active duty Sikh airman that will allow him to wear a turban, beard and unshorn hair in accordance with his faith.
In a statement, Airman 1st Class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa said he was “overjoyed that the Air Force has granted my religious accommodation. Today, I feel that my country has embraced my Sikh heritage, and I will be forever grateful for this opportunity.”
Bajwa serves as a crew chief at the McChord Air Force base near Lakewood. The Air Force’s decision to allow him to maintain traditional Sikh customs in regard to his appearance is a “historic” first, says the American Civil Liberties Union.
Bajwa is a first-generation American who enlisted in the Air Force in 2017, hoping to serve his country. In accordance with Air Force rules, but in contrast to his religious practice, he was required to cut his hair and remain cleanshaven, said Kamal Kalsi, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and founder of the Sikh American Veterans Alliance, who helped Bajwa win his accommodation.
“The Air Force places a high value on the rights of its members to observe the tenets of their respective religions or to observe no religion at all,” Air Force spokesman Nicholas J. Mercurio said in a statement confirming the decision.
When Bajwa learned of exemptions granted to Sikh members of the Army, and that in 2018 the Air Force had allowed a Muslim JAG Corps officer, Capt. Maysaa Ouza, to wear a hijab, he contacted Kalsi’s organization for assistance. The ACLU later became involved in the effort.
“It was important for him to be able to maintain that Sikh identity as well as his identity as a soldier,” Kalsi said.
“The turban and beard are an important part of a Sikh’s identity,” Kalsi explained. “The turban is a crown, it represents our connection to social justice, our connection to our faith. These articles of faith for us remind us to do good in the world and to be good citizens in the world.”
American Sikhs had previously been allowed to keep their beards, unshorn hair and turbans while serving in the Army, until a ban was instituted in the 1980s, Army Times reported. But the military’s rigidness on appearance has been challenged in recent years as service members have petitioned to visibly practice their faiths.
Kalsi petitioned the Army in 2008 for a religious accommodation to dress and groom in accordance with Sikh practice. The effort took him a year and half, but he says the military had become more understanding of Sikhs and soldiers of other faiths as the years progressed.
