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Sikhs and Sikh Americans have served in the United States military since World War I through all subsequent wars. Since the 1980s, observant Sikhs have faced difficulty in serving due to a discontinuation of exemptions to uniform standards which previously allowed Sikhs to maintain their religiously mandated beards and turbans while in uniform.
Sikhs are associated with being good warriors for several reasons, one being their religious practices and their values. [1] A Sikh is expected to always carry five items on them to honor The Five Ks (Punjabi: ਪੰਜ ਕਕਾਰ Pañj Kakār), which is a foundational element of the Sikh religion. [2] The five items include kesh (an uncut beard), kangha (a wooden comb), kara (an iron bracelet), kachera (cotton underpants), and kirpan (a small knife). [2] Each of these five items serve as symbols that uphold integrity, discipline, righteousness, and honesty, which contribute to the resemblance to warrior characteristics. Besides the idea that Sikh's core values align with those of a warrior, their reputation for being good soldiers can also be traced back to Guru Hargobind, who was the sixth of the ten Sikh gurus in the religion. [3] In the 1600s, Guru Hargobind emphasized the importance of a military. He created an army of Sikhs, trained them, and inspired them to defend and protect. [3] He was a great influence on the core principles of the religion, as he formed an enthusiastic group of Sikh warriors. [4] Additionally, the colonization by the British also contributed to their strong warrior reputation. [5] When the British were building an Indian army during World War I, they mainly aimed to enlist Sikhs. [5] [6] [7]
One of the earliest Sikh soldiers in the American military was Bhagat Singh Thind, who although not a U.S. citizen enlisted in the United States Army and served in World War I. Bhagat Singh Thind was the first Sikh in US military service to be granted the right to wear a turban while on active duty in the US Army. Thind requested citizenship at the end of the war, but was refused. He was granted citizenship in 1936. [8] Sikh participation as a part of U.S. forces in World War I was limited due to their small population in the country, but 138,000 Sikhs served in other Allied forces. Large numbers of Sikhs served in U.S. forces during World War II, and all American wars following.
During World War II Sikh units of the Indian and Commonwealth forces served under Allied command alongside or in cooperation with American forces and earned a reputation for bravery, serving notably against the Germans and Italians in East Africa, North Africa, Italy, France, Western Europe and against the Japanese in the China-Burma-India Theater. Notable actions involving Sikhs fighting alongside American forces occurred at the Battle of Monte Cassino and the assault on the Gustav Line during the Italian Campaign where both American and Indian Army Sikh (as well as Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, Polish and South African) units suffered heavy casualties. Other notable battles of World War II that involved units composed of Sikhs included both the First and Second Battles of El Alamein, Kohima, Imphal, and the Burma campaign in conjunction with Merrill's Marauders. [8]
Prior to the 1980s—and from the time of Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Elmo Zumwalt's "Z-grams" numbers 57 and 70, in early November 1970 and late January 1971 respectively, permitting their presence on all United States Navy personnel until the timeframe of Ronald Reagan's presidency—the United States Armed Forces allowed beards while in uniform. [9] However, due to a change in regulations, the U.S. Armed Forces rescinded permission for beards in uniform, except for those who commenced their service in the military before 1986. [9] On July 26, 1948, Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States, made an effort to desegregate the military by issuing the Executive Order 9981. [10] It stated that "...there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin." [11] Although this legislation aimed to permit the participation of all eligible American citizens in the military, Sikhs who wore turbans and long beards were forced to leave the military unless they removed their turban and shaved their beards. [12] As the beard is a requirement according to the Rehat Maryada, the current regulation [13] has created a regulatory barrier that has kept observant Sikh men from serving in the United States Armed Forces in large numbers. Retired Colonel GB Singh, applied to serve in the U.S. Army in 1979. Although there had been Sikhs who had enlisted in the U.S. Military previously, Singh was the first to go the officer route. A periodontist, Singh served in the U.S. Army as a colonel, one of a small number of Sikhs allowed to retain articles of faith, grandfathered in after a change in policy.
In April 2009, Sikh Army Captain Kamaljeet S. Kalsi, a doctor, with the help of the Sikh Coalition, filed an objection to the Inspector General and the Department of Defense to be allowed to continue to serve with his religious apparel intact. [14] Army Reserve Second Lieutenant Tejdeep Singh Rattan, a dentist, joined in filing the petition. [15] Kalsi joined the Army via its Health Professions Scholarship Program and had been reassured by the recruiter that wearing the uniform while retaining his religiously required appearance and apparel would not be a problem. [15] Kalsi had even served in uniform without any problems at West Point and Travis Air Force Base. [14] Yet, a problem arose in early 2009 when the Pentagon told Kalsi and Rattan that they would be called to active duty and would need to shave their beards and stop wearing their turbans. [16]
The Sikh Coalition argued that not allowing the servicemembers to continue to maintain their appearance according to their religion violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. [14] The Army argued that continued wear of the turban and beard violated current regulation, that would hinder the servicemembers from meeting health, safety, and mission requirements including the use of gas masks. [14] In late October 2009, Kalsi was allowed an exemption to the policy, [17] and would be able to serve while adhering to his religious beliefs. [18] The Army continues to maintain that these were specific determinations due to the individual case and that present regulations will not change, [19] however the Sikh Coalition holds out that this will be the beginning of a policy shift that will allow other Sikhs to serve their country in uniform. [19]
The case of Rattan was put on hold, pending his completion of the dental boards exam. [17] Upon graduation from basic officer training at Fort Sam Houston as a captain on March 22, 2010, Rattan was also granted an exemption. [20] A third serviceman, Specialist Lamba, who graduated from Fort Jackson in November 2010 was also granted an exemption. [21]
After a legal battle, Army Captain Simratpal Singh won a long-term religious accommodation in 2016 that allowed him to maintain the articles of his Sikh faith while serving. Specialist Harpal Singh (US Army Reserves), Specialist Kanwar Singh (MA National Guard) and Private Arjan Ghotra (VA National Guard) were also allowed to attend Army's Basic Combat Training in summer 2016. Specialist Harpal Singh received Soldier of the Cycle award from his chain of command at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Not long after, in early 2017, the Army updated its regulations on grooming and appearances to allow Sikh soldiers and Muslim women to wear religious coverings, and for Sikh men to keep their beards. [22]
In January 2017, following the outcome of a lawsuit under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, regulations were changed, allowing for the wearing of beards and turbans by religious individuals (the same ruling also allowed the wearing of burkas and hijabs by Muslims). The ruling does stipulate that the regulations can require that the beards must be worn at certain lengths (via rolling and clipping) and must not interfere with operations. [23] Second Lieutenant Kanwar Singh became the first Sikh service-member to complete US Army's Officer Candidate School under the new military policy. He completed Basic Combat Training (Fort Jackson - 2016), Officer Candidate School (Massachusetts, Connecticut and Alabama - 2018) and Signal Basic Officer Leaders Course (Fort Gordon - 2020) with unshorn hair, beard, and turban. He currently serves as a commissioned officer in the Massachusetts National Guard (US Army Signal Corps). [24]
In June 2019, Airman Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa became the first active duty airman allowed to serve with a beard, turban and unshorn hair as part of a given religious accommodation. Bajwa is a first-generation American who enlisted in the Air Force in 2017. Bajwa learned of exemptions granted to Sikh members in the Army, and that in 2018, the Air Force had allowed a Muslim JAG Corps officer, Captain Maysaa Ouza, liberty to wear a hijab. After hearing about Captain Ouza, he contacted Kamal Kalsi, a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve and founder of the Sikh American Veterans Alliance who helped him make his case. [22]
In June 2020, Anmol Narang became the first observant Sikh to graduate from the United States Military Academy. [25] In 2022, the District of Columbia's federal appeals court ruled that Milaap Singh Chahal and two other Sikhs were not required to shave to serve in the Marine Corps. [26]
A turban is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Communities with prominent turban-wearing traditions can be found in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia, North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, and amongst some Turkic peoples in Russia.
In Sikhism, the Five Ks are five items that Guru Gobind Singh, in 1699, commanded Khalsa Sikhs to wear at all times. They are: kesh, kangha, kara, kachera, and kirpan.
A military uniform is a standardised dress worn by members of the armed forces and paramilitaries of various nations.
Bhagat Singh Thind was an Indian American writer and lecturer on spirituality who served in the United States Army during World War I and was involved in a Supreme Court case over the right of Indian people to obtain United States citizenship.
A dastār is an item of headwear associated with Sikhism and Sikh culture. The word is loaned from Persian through Punjabi. In Persian, the word dastār can refer to any kind of turban and replaced the original word for turban, dolband (دلبند), from which the English word is derived.
A kangha is a small wooden comb that Sikhs usually use twice a day and part of the Five Ks. It is supposed to be kept with the hair at all times. Combs help to clean the hair, and are a symbol of cleanliness. Combing their hair reminds Sikhs that their lives should be tidy and organised. The kangha makes the uncut hair neat and keeps away tangles. Kanghas were traditionally made of wood, but many modern Sikhs employ ones made of plastic.
The Sikh Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regiment is the successor unit to the 23rd, 32nd and 34th Royal Sikh Pioneers of the British Indian Army. The regiment recruits from the Sikh community of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana states of India.
American Sikhs form the country's sixth-largest religious group. While the U.S. Census does not ask about religion, 70,697 Americans declared Sikh as their ethnicity in the 2020 census. The U.S. Census Bureau cites the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey's estimate of the adult Sikh American population at 78,000. The Pew Research Center estimated the Sikh American adult population to be 140,000 and the total population at 200,000 in 2012 while the World Religion Database at Boston University estimated the American Sikh population to be at 280,000 in 2012. Sikh organizations like the Sikh Coalition and American Sikh Congressional Caucus estimate the Sikh American population to be as high as 1,000,000, but do not provide any sources for these figures; 500,000 nevertheless remains the most cited Sikh American population size. With 1% of Asian Americans being Sikh, and 90.7% of Sikh Americans being Asian American, the American Sikh population can be estimated at around 200,000–300,000 in 2021. The largest Sikh populations in the U.S. are found in California (52%), New York (11%), and Washington (6%).
In Sikhism, kesh or kes is the practice of allowing one's hair to grow naturally without cutting. The practice is one of The Five Kakaars, the outward symbols ordered by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 as a means to profess the Sikh faith. The hair is combed twice daily with a kanga, another of the five Ks, and tied into a simple knot known as a joora or rishi knot. This knot of hair is usually held in place with the kanga and covered by a turban.
The Sikh Khalsa Army, also known as Khalsaji or simply Sikh Army, was the military force of the Sikh Empire. With its roots in the Khalsa founded by Guru Gobind Singh, the army was later modernised on Franco-British principles by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It was divided in three wings: the Fauj-i-Khas (elites), Fauj-i-Ain and Fauj-i-Be Qawaid (irregulars). Due to the lifelong efforts of the Maharaja and his European officers, it gradually became a prominent fighting force of Asia. Ranjit Singh changed and improved the training and organisation of his army. He reorganized responsibility and set performance standards in logistical efficiency in troop deployment, manoeuvre, and marksmanship. He reformed the staffing to emphasize steady fire over cavalry and guerrilla warfare, improved the equipment and methods of war. The military system of Ranjit Singh combined the best of both old and new ideas. He strengthened the infantry and the artillery. He paid the members of the standing army from treasury, instead of the Mughal method of paying an army with local feudal levies.
Punjabi Americans, are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly from the Punjab region of India and Pakistan. There are over 300,000 Punjabi Americans, many of whom were Sikhs from British Punjab who first settled in California's Central Valley.
G. B. Singh is the author of Gandhi Behind the Mask of Divinity, a biography of Mahatma Gandhi and Gandhi Under Cross Examination.
Facial hair in the military has been at various times common, prohibited, or an integral part of the uniform.
Religious symbolism in the United States military includes the use of religious symbols for military chaplain insignia, uniforms, emblems, flags, and chapels; symbolic gestures, actions, and words used in military rituals and ceremonies; and religious symbols or designations used in areas such as headstones and markers in national cemeteries, and military ID tags.
Sikhism was founded in Punjab in 1469 by Guru Nanak on the foundations that everyone is equal, regardless of caste, age, or gender. Both men and women are supposed to follow the Five Ks: Kesh, Kangha (comb), Kara, Kachera and Kirpan, and there was never a distinction between what a woman should be allowed to do versus a man at theological level. Men and women are treated equally in the temple (gurdwara), and everyone eats and prays side-by-side. Both men and women are meant to carry the Kirpan with them as they are responsible for their own physical protection, and should not depend on others. Sikhs are strictly against the caste system and many chose to use Kaur or Singh as a last name to push against the problematic caste system in India. There is only one god (Waheguru) in Sikhism and they are without form or gender, and everyone is equal in the eyes of God. Many Sikh women believe that this absence of assignment of code of conduct for a woman versus a man proves that their religion is historically committed to gender equality. Presently, the culture does not always follow these traditions and equality is often more true in ideals rather than daily practice. According to Kiman Kaur: "It is essential to take into account the diverse Kaur narratives in order to critically understand the violence Sikh women experience due to religious, ethnic, and gender minoritization through enabling more intersectional conversations."
Ravi Singh is a Sikh American entrepreneur, author, and the first turban wearing, US military cadet (ARMY), a conservative (Republican) candidate for Illinois State Representative politician who fought conviction of 3 felony for eight (8) years regarding US Federal counts relating to a California State, San Diego mayoral election, and fought to wear his turban even in US Federal Prison during his 120 Days incarceration. He was the founder and CEO of Electionmall Technologies, a non-partisan marketing company that offers technology products and services tailored to those running for political office, and co-branded with Microsoft the first cloud based software, Campaign Cloud invented by him. Singh became known as the first U.S. cadet to graduate from a military academy with a turban. His 1998 bid for the Illinois Legislature made him the first Asian to ever run for the position. Singh has been honored with numerous awards and recognitions including the Sikh in Media Award in 2011, and a Rising Star, a prestigious honor given in politics.
Wiccans and pagans in the United States military have, since the close of the 20th century, experienced a gradual increase in official recognition. The Wiccan pentacle is now an approved emblem for gravestones under the Veterans Administration, achieved in 2007 following legal action regarding the grave of Wiccan soldier Patrick Stewart. In 2011, the United States Air Force Academy dedicated an $80,000 "outdoor worship center" for "Earth-based religions" such as paganism and traditional Native American religions. As of 2022, there is no provision for official recognition of Wiccan or pagan chaplains.
Gyani Sundar Singh Sagar, commonly known as Gyani Ji, was a Sikh scholar and social activist. He dedicated his life to various campaigns for Sikh rights to be recognised and respected in the United Kingdom. Principal among those were his fight for the turban including a seven year campaign for Sikh bus conductors in Manchester to be able to wear the turban as part of their uniform and his protest against The Motorcycle Crash Helmets Act of 1972 so Sikhs could legally be allowed to wear turbans instead of crash helmets.
Secular laws regulating hairstyles exist in various countries and institutions.
Simratpal "Simmer" Singh is a practicing Sikh United States Army officer and combat veteran. He won a federal lawsuit, Singh v. Carter, against the U.S. Department of Defense to be allowed to wear a religious beard and turban in uniform.
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