Air, Space forces revamp religious accommodations to align with Pentagon guidance

The Department of the Air Force updated its religious accommodation request process in an effort to align with the Pentagon’s recent policy change to religious exemptions and grooming standards.

Changes to the process for airmen and guardians are vast and include items such as the termination of the Religious Resolution Teams and changes to the application process and military chaplains’ involvement, according to a Friday Air Force release.

“This updated guidance ensures a critical balance between accommodating the sincerely held religious beliefs of our airmen and guardians and maintaining the rigorous safety and readiness standards required for operational superiority,” Richard Anderson, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, said in the release.

The Religious Resolutions Teams were previously used by the department to process, review and determine the result of a service member’s religious accommodation request.

Now, unit commanders will assess the requests without calling on a formalized board through acquiring chaplain, legal and subject-matter input, per the release.

In line with the March 11 Department of Defense memorandum, the DAF amended the application process to now require a sworn written statement from airmen and guardians that demonstrates that their belief is “sincerely held and religious in nature.”

Airmen and guardians have to describe their religious belief and explain how it conflicts with military duties or standards alongside supporting evidence, like personal testimony or statements from religious leaders, the statement reads.

Under the new guidance, military chaplains will no longer evaluate the sincerity of a service member’s belief or remark on possible impacts operationally.

Instead, military chaplains will only give advice on the “religious nature of the belief” and unit commanders are the ones required to comment on the request’s sincerity and operational impact through a written assessment.

“This includes specific evaluations of the members’ current and anticipated work environments, upcoming deployments, and the expected use of personal protective equipment, such as helmets and respirators,” the release says.

Airmen and guardians need to have their previously approved religious accommodations for facial hair reevaluated with regard to the DoD guidance or risk having their accommodation removed. The statement did not specify a timeline for reevaluation.

For facial hair accommodations, the decision authority now falls under the offices of Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services and Space Force Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Personnel.