Army Sgt. Clay Stephens, far left, a Nordic Pagan since 2021, said he is unsure whether the military will continue honoring his waiver. (Rayonne Bissant/U.S. Army)
Soldiers seeking to sport beards, long hair or religious headgear must swear their “sincerely held belief” under oath, be interviewed by a chaplain and secure recommendations throughout their chain of command to receive a religious accommodation, updated Army policy states.
The service will require all soldiers with current religious accommodations to be reevaluated under the new guidance, according to a May 19 memorandum signed by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and made public Friday. Current accommodations will stay in place until a soldier completes the new request process and is approved or denied.
“Adherence to these standards and discipline are tied to operational readiness,” according to the memo. “ … Strict grooming and appearance compliance ensures personnel can safely and effectively employ protective equipment. This is critical not only for defense against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, but also for firefighting, disaster relief, and other hazardous mission sets where respiratory protection may be required, often on short notice.”
In addition to the new religious accommodation process, the updated grooming standards trim the length that male soldiers can wear sideburns. Sideburns now must not fall below the opening of the ear canal. Previously, male soldiers could wear their sideburns to the bottom of the ear canal. Mustaches remain authorized, according to the guidance.
The new standards come as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has cracked down on uniformed service members’ appearance, pushing for a leaner force with less facial hair. It also comes after the Pentagon cut the number of officially recognized religions from 211 to 31, according to a May 20 policy signed by Anthony Tata, the Pentagon’s personnel chief.
Hegseth in September ordered the end of permanent medical shaving exemptions and said he planned to place new limits on religious waivers. He told a gathering of top military leaders that month at Quantico, Va., that he wanted to see “no more beardos” in uniform.
The Army’s new policy aligns closely with Defense Department guidance and with new policies outlined in recent weeks by the other military services.
The new religious accommodations policies have raised concerns among service members with current waivers, several have told Stars and Stripes. Some feared it would be difficult to prove their sincerity.
The Pentagon’s new guidance on religion scrapped recognition of some of the faiths of soldiers for which the Army had previously granted beard and other waivers, including Heathens and Pagans.
Driscoll’s memo noted that “secular beliefs, no matter how sincerely or closely held, are not grounds for accommodation.”
The new guidance said Army chaplains would be trained to determine if soldiers’ beliefs are sincere. The process will begin with a “formal and nonconfidential interview with a chaplain.”
Chaplains and commanders are instructed to consider factors including “the soldier’s religious background and training, participation in religious practices, study or reflection supporting the belief, credibility of the soldier and any supporting statements, and consistency between the soldier’s conduct and claimed beliefs,” the guidance reads. “Commanders may also rely on their personal knowledge of the soldier’s behavior and statements. No single factor is determinative; commanders should evaluate the totality of the circumstances.”
It instructs chaplains to ask those seeking a religious waiver the reasons they are seeking it, to describe the “connection between” the appearance waiver and their religion, why it is “encouraged, required or necessary” in their religion, and about the “practical, ethical or spiritual” impacts a denial of a waiver would place on them.
Chaplains, unit commanders and general officers are then expected to make recommendations about the soldier’s sincerity in seeking the accommodation. The Army’s assistant secretary for manpower and reserve affairs will make all final decisions, according to the memo.
Driscoll laid out a phased approach to reevaluate those who have current accommodations. Those seeking to keep religious beard waivers should be approved or denied within 120 days of the memo’s signing. The Army will consider other uniform waivers, such as those for uncut hair or religious headgear, jewelry, apparel and “other articles of significance,” after that initial 120-day period. Those accommodations are to be granted or denied within 240 days of the memo’s signing.
Soldiers denied a new waiver will be advised in writing of the reason for denial, according to the policy. Those who are denied and decline to adopt the standard Army grooming regulations “within 24 hours” may be separated, officials said.
Anyone found to have lied under oath about their religious sincerity could face prosecution.
Soldiers or recruits seeking new religious accommodations will be considered after those with current waivers. They will face the same process, according to Driscoll.
