US Marines allows 26-yr-old Sikh officer to wear turban but with restrictions; he may sue Corps

By Team Newsable | First Published Sep 28, 2021, 1:33 PM IST

According to the New York Times, Toor's case is the latest in a long-running conflict between two fundamental values in the United States military.

A 26-year-old Sikh-American officer in the United States Marine Corps who has been granted permission to wear the turban became the first individual in the elite force's 246-year history to do so, but with certain restrictions. According to the media reports, he plans to sue the Corps if he is not granted full religious accommodation. For the past five years, First Lt. Sukhbir Toor has put on the United States Marine Corps uniform almost every morning. According to The New York Times, he also got to wear the turban of a devout Sikh on Thursday.

According to the New York Times, Toor's turban is a first in the Marine Corps' 246-year existence, which has nearly never tolerated departures from its revered image. He said he doesn't have to choose between his faith and his nation. Toor decided to file an appeal after being elevated to Captain this spring. According to the New York Times, Toor's case is the latest in a long-running conflict between two fundamental values in the United States military.

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Toor, the son of Indian immigrants who grew up in Washington and Ohio, has been allowed to wear the turban with limits while on duty. He "may wear a turban in everyday clothing at normal duty stations, but not when deployed to a war zone or in dress uniform in a ceremonial unit where the public may observe it." Toor, according to sources, has appealed the restricted decision to the Marine Corps commander, and he has vowed to sue the Corps if he does not obtain a full accommodation.

Toor petitioned the Marine Corps commander, and the Corps agreed in part, letting him wear the turban with some limitations. According to the New York Times, approximately 100 Sikhs presently serve in the Army and Air Force sporting full beards and turbans. Toor had joined the US Marines after graduating from college in 2017, knowing that he would have to forego the outward markers of his faith at first, but he was prepared to make the sacrifice.

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