The Washington Post reports on a lawsuit filed by Rabbi Menachem M. Stern of the Chabad-Luvabitch community in Brooklyn challenging the US Army's denial of his commission to serve as a chaplain. The requirement that he shave his beard conflicts with Stern's religious practice, an accommodation his suit points out has been made in other cases.
Stern's attorneys…say that since [his commission was rescinded over the beard policy], the Army has granted a waiver to two Sikh captains and an enlisted man, who were permitted to wear a turban and beard in uniform, and an unnamed, bearded Muslim officer who has served as a surgical intern at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Stern says the Army rules, which only apply on entering service and can be waived for those who cannot shave for medical reasons, are discriminatory and violate the Constitution…
I'm sure the Army has good reasons for its no-beard policy, but there are also good reasons to ensure that the core of chaplains serving our nation's brave servicemen and women is as diverse as those in need of their ministry.
