New US military guidelines have opened the way for service members to wear religious clothing such as turbans or skullcaps while on duty, the Department of Defense has announced.

The guidelines, published on Wednesday, also allow for facial hair, body art and other expressions of religious belief. It is not a blanket permission, however; requests for dispensation from stated uniform policy are to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.



The military counts thousands of Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Wiccans and members of other religious groups among its ranks. The groups have protested against the exclusion of religious apparel, saying it forces them to choose between their religious beliefs and a desire to serve.

To be approved, changes in apparel or presentation must not impair the operation of weapons, pose a health or safety hazard or interfere with other military equipment such as helmets, flak jackets or wetsuits, according to the guidelines.

“The new policy states that military departments will accommodate religious requests of service members, unless a request would have an adverse effect on military readiness, mission accomplishment, unit cohesion and good order and discipline,” said Pentagon spokesman Lt Cmdr Nathan J Christensen.

The Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund said the rules did not go far enough.

“This is an expansion of the waiver policy that is decided person by person,” its director, Jasjit Singh, told the Washington Post. “It does not open doors and say you can apply as a Sikh American and serve your country fully.”



The Sikh Coalition collects the stories of Sikhs who have won the right to wear turbans and beards on duty. The first was Major Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, a doctor and Afghanistan combat veteran who was granted a religious accommodation by the US army in October 2009.