After years of leading this advocacy work—including litigation in federal courts—a
in January 2017 significantly improved the uniform and grooming standards for Sikhs and other religious minorities who seek to serve their country with their unconcealed articles of faith intact. In 2020, the U.S. Air Force followed suit with a
. These two improved policies have already enabled at least 60 observant Sikh service members to serve in both of these branches of the military.
However, the ultimate goal of this 12-plus year campaign remains to secure permanent policy changes that end discrimination by our nation’s largest employer in every branch of the military. To that end, the Sikh Coalition continues to lead efforts to improve policies inside the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force. To learn more about why we continue this work,
read our community FAQ.
In addition to Winston & Strawn LLP and McDermott Will & Emery, the Sikh Coalition wants to recognize our additional partner in previous litigations, Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. We also appreciate the important work of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Sikh American Veterans Alliance to secure historic accommodations, including Airman 1st Class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa and Airman 1st Class Sunjit Singh Rathour, in 2019.
As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.