Sikh, Simran Lamba, in the US Army (interesting PIC and story) - first since 1984

[underpants]

U.S. Army Spc. Simran Lamba, center, was granted the honor of carrying a red-white-and-blue unit color flag for Alpha company Third Battalion 34th Infantry Regiment, during his basic training graduation ceremony at Fort Jackson, S.C., Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010. Lamba is the first enlisted Soldier to be granted a religious accommodation for his Sikh articles of faith since 1984. Sikhism, a 500-year-old religion founded in India, requires its male followers to wear a turban and beard and keep their hair uncut. Army policies since 1984 had effectively prevented Sikhs from enlisting by barring those items. But Lamba was granted a rare exception because he has skills the Army wants-- the Indian languages Hindi and Punjabi.


FORT JACKSON, S.C. (AP) — The first Sikh to go through U.S. Army basic combat training in 30 years is graduating at a South Carolina military installation, just hours after becoming an American citizen.

Spc. Simran Lamba was completing his training Wednesday at Fort Jackson outside Columbia. He was permitted to wear unshorn hair and a turban under a religious accommodation granted by the nation’s largest military branch.

Army policies had effectively prevented Sikhs from enlisting since 1984.

The Army has two Sikhs who became medical officers in recent years, but no Sikh has served in the enlisted ranks in decades.

http://trivalleycentral.com/articles/2010/11/13/front/doc4cdef0e73f928394932454.txt

[xchrom]

1. congratulations mr lamba. nt