The U.S. Navy has joined other branches of the military in allowing service personnel who are Sikhs to wear turbans with their uniforms.
Previously, the Navy had ruled that Jewish and Muslim members could wear unobtrusive head coverings that would be contained under regulation military hats. Under the new rules, turbans will be allowed even though they are too large to wear under standard-issue military headgear.
The Sikh Coalition, which lobbied for the change, welcomed the new rule.
“We are appreciative that the U.S. Navy has taken a step forward in securing accommodations for observant Sikh Americans who wish to serve with their religious articles of faith,” Giselle Klapper, the Sikh Coalition’s staff attorney, said in a March 19 press release.
