Captain Simratpal Singh is a West Point graduate, a war veteran, an active duty Army officer and a recipient of the Bronze Star. He is also a Sikh, and sued the U.S. Department of Defense earlier this year to be able to wear his beard and turban with his fatigues.
Simratpal Singh, an active duty war veteran, shaved his beard a decade ago when he joined the US Army at 18. Now, after a long stint in the Army and a medal, Singh has finally won the right to wear his turban and grow a beard while serving – a right that can only be revoked for the sake of “unit cohesion and morale, good order and discipline, health and safety”. He was the first active duty soldier to receive this accommodation.
Now, he talks about the whole struggle in the video above.
