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 ...
Not a chance. Even if this guy's the Ultimate Super Soldier, you have no idea the can of worms this opens up if he's given a pass. We have rules. Obey them or get out. It's that simple.
To get to this type of comraderie, all of the recruits have to look the same, sound the same, march the same, talk, eat, sleep, crap and generally get robotized before they can rely on each other.
If the Sikhs want to go through that and AFTER getting assigned grow their beards back, and wear their tubans, I see no problem with it. Sikhs are fanatic friends and fearsome fighters. Any of the services should welcome them.
That is failing to look at the cost-benefit ratio here. Think about what Emerson said about “Foolish consistency”.
Lets put it this way - just from the point of view of public image - Sikhs in turbans as US soldiers and officers would have a wonderfully -er- “complex” effect on the perceptions in much of the world, and on political opponents of the US military. Sikhs are particularly interesting BECAUSE of their turbans.
Just as a for instance, if such a person retired and showed up as a JROTC officer in San Francisco, turban and all, the local leftoids would be tearing their hair out. I can just imagine the next school board meeting.
Think of this too - hardly anything would be as powerful a PR statement in India in favor of a US alliance than the sight of an obvious Indian officer of high rank in the US armed forces; its a statement that “we think you guys are great. Great enough to entrust our men to men like you”.
A regular and obvious Indian would be a good thing, but there is no way to miss a Sikh. Thats the messaging equivalent of a Las Vegas casino sign in animated neon.
And so forth.
Seems to me this might be a case of the US pays for my medical school, and then I don’t have to fullfill my part.
They had to know before that turbans weren’t part of the uniform.
If he don’t like the way we do things in America he can go back to where he came from. We want miss him.
“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”
Hell why have rules at all? everybody does what they want!
Him, by himself, not much. Thats just one man.
The example though isn’t good for the national interest.
Them, yes you will miss them. You want them. Think it through. Back home (India) where they have a good bit of a cultural inferiority complex and can be a bit subconsciously touchy about these things, this isn’t going to be good PR. There are a LOT of Indians, and lots of people the Indians bring along elsewhere. They have serious pull already, and they are up-and-coming.
We WANT these people as allies, good friends, inseparable if possible. Thats a benefit worth several divisions. Forgiving a few token turbans is a VERY small price for a powerful political gesture.
I am not budging.
I want miss any of them. They can all go jump in the lake as far I care.
I have met and worked with many Sikhs (including ex Military types) and I respect them enormously.
I believe this insistence on “rules” is ridiculous. These rules are not sacred like our constitution. These rules in many cases were CHANGED tens of times since our country began and can be changed again. Heck, our Constitution, which next to the Bible is the holiest document to me, allows itself to be changed.
We allowed beards once and we can allow it again. Rules should NOT be ignored. No Sir. However, rules can and should be changed when they make sense.
We allowed blacks in the Army. Using the idiotic logic on display in this thread, if FR had existed back in the 40s I am sure someone would have posted “Rules are rules”
Keep context in mind guys. Some random Sikh guy wants to join our United States army and DIE FOR ME!!!!
Did you get that?? He wants the privelege of dying for me, my family, my consitution and my country (and Texas, my most beloved state).
This Sikh guy also likes to wear a beard as his religion asks for it.
So the way I see it, we allowed beards once. Our greatest generals wore beards. We can freaking allow them again for what is arguably one of the greatest martial races in the world.
Go Sikhs! Go US Armed Forces! Go Texas!
You're not an American, are you?
If he doesn’t want to shave his beard, screw him.
And it’s laughable that they had no idea they’d have to shave. The one guy was “recruited” eight years ago and has being going to summer camp once a year since. You all mean to tell me that NO ONE told this guy that his free pass ends on active duty? Bulls***.
Sikhs are fine - as long as their the same as everybody else.
Also, it’s my understanding that strictly observant Sikhs don’t shave at all. So there goes that idea of trimming the beard to fit under the mask. I guess unless they are part-time Sikhs. SINO?
Lest anyone think the part of the title “Nudists Next?” is mere hyperbole, Google up an image of one African “general” known as “General Buck Naked”.
Sikhs are right up with Ghurkas - good people to have on your side in a fight.
As far as I know Jews are allowed to wear yamakas (sp?)under their berets and indoors (when head cover is off anyways).
Just trying to make the point if you allow religious headgear for one group, it would have to be allowed for all, even though I know there’s a world of difference between a turban and a yamaka. Especially as far as fitting under a beret!
The flaw in your logic lies in the fact that Sikhs tend to be raised with the warrior perspective. Boot camp would not be diminished by the beard or turban of a Sikh. I’d be willing to bet goodly amounts of money that such Sikh’s would more than carry their weight, AND would be sought after platoon members.
If nothing else, think of the poor Drill Sargents - should they not have a few “maggots” who have been raised in a family tradition of warriors, instead of all too many of the usual ‘thugs with attitude’?
5
Better a patriotic Sikh with a turban than a President without a birth certificate!
“I want miss any of them. They can all go jump in the lake as far I care.”
India ?
Admit it, even you think what you just wrote is dead stupid.
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