Punjab: In a blow to Sikh soldiers serving in the US military, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a strict new grooming policy that effectively bans most types of beards, allowing exceptions only for elite special forces. The September 30 directive calls for all military branches to return to “pre-2010 standards” for grooming, which do not allow exemptions for facial hair. The move has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups, veterans, and religious freedom advocates. They say it could force soldiers from communities such as Sikhs, Muslims, Jews, and Black soldiers with skin conditions to choose between military careers and religious beliefs/health needs.
Citing a lack of clarity on the matter, officials from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Akal Takht have said they will comment only after reading the order and consulting with Sikh soldiers serving in the US military. Meanwhile, former Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, president of a faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal, has demanded the reinstatement of these provisions, recalling the service of the community’s soldiers during the two world wars. The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) has expressed “deep concern” over the Pentagon directive, calling it a “betrayal” of those who have struggled for years to secure religious positions in the armed forces. NAPA Executive Director Satnam Singh Chahal says the new rules will have serious consequences for Sikhs, Orthodox Jews, Muslims, and other religious minorities whose faith requires them to keep beards and other religious items.
Chahal says, “This decision isn’t about discipline or firepower—it’s about stripping the dignity and religious identity of devout soldiers who serve this country with loyalty and honor.” He emphasizes that keeping uncut hair (“kesh”) is a mandatory religious commandment for Sikhs. NAPA has called on the Trump administration, members of Congress, and civil rights organizations to immediately intervene and halt the implementation of this directive. A lawyer for the Sikh Coalition stated: “For Sikh soldiers, shaving their heads is like having a limb amputated.” In 2022, a federal court ruled in favor of Sikh recruits being allowed to keep beards and turbans during basic training. In his speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Hegseth said: “If you want to keep a beard, join the Special Forces. If not, shave it. Our military is not full of Nordic pagans.” He further stated that the era of “massive and ridiculous shaving procedures”—exemptions for medical or religious reasons—is over.
Punjab: Sikhs outraged by Pentagon’s ban on beards
