14 Sikh High Schoolers Get Waivers to Enter Army Basic With Beard, Turban

Following graduation this June, Manav Sodhi will help lead a new wave of Sikh soldiers enlisting in the U.S. Army who will be allowed to wear the traditional turban and beard in Basic Combat Training. Sodhi, who is currently attending Kings Park High School in New York, was recently granted a religious accommodation by the service, according to the Sikh American Veterans Alliance (SAVA). Practicing Sikhs serving in the Army are nothing new, but SAVA's news release states that Sodhi is the first high school student to receive a religious accommodation so he can enlist as a Sikh. Read more about the waivers on Military.com.