Tag Archives: Simran Preet Singh Lamba

NPR Questions Military Policy on Sikhs

In the face of a Supreme Court decision requiring an employer to accommodate a job seeker’s head scarf, NPR’s Tom Gjelten asks “Why Are Only Three Observant Sikh Men Serving In The U.S. Military?

“What I’m anticipating with this decision is that we will have a move in this country to recognize the right of individuals from different religious backgrounds to live in an America that does not discriminate against them on the basis of how they appear,” says Simran Jeet Singh, the senior religion fellow for the Sikh Coalition.

The article largely rehashes the story and one recent Read more

US Army Soldier, Sikh Answers His Calling

A US Army article again highlights SPC Simranpreet Singh Lamba, the sole non-medical Sikh Soldier granted a waiver of uniform standards so he may adhere to his religious dress requirements.

The article again documents the difficulty Lamba had in having his enlistment accepted.  It also repeats the prior news that Lamba has had no significant issues either with the institutional Army or with individual Soldiers, despite his (significantly) minority faith:  Read more

Sikh Soldier Endures US Army Training

A local paper notes the training of SPC Simram Lamba, the first observant Sikh to serve as an enlisted line Soldier in decades.  For his part, Lamba seems to find it a non-event:

Lamba…said the most frequently asked question by his fellow soldiers is about his unshorn hair and beard.

Lamba said both are considered Sikh articles of faith. He called them a “natural gift from God, and we’re not going to destroy it.”

Lamba added the soldiers at his side treat him like any Read more

Sikh Granted Exemption to Army Standards

The Sikh Coalition announced that the US Army had granted an exception to dress and appearance policies allowing Simran Preet Singh Lamba, an observant Sikh, to enter the Army and maintain his religious standards of appearance.

Lamba was reportedly recruited for his language skills.  He is the third Sikh behind Captains Tejdeep Singh Rattan and Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi to be granted such exceptions over the past year.

The Sikh Coalition notes that it is continuing to work to eliminate the policy altogether, so that Sikhs may serve without the necessity of seeking a special waiver.

Also noted at the Religion Clause.