Capt. Singh's Beard and Turban and Religious Liberty

Good news, for the moment, from The Hill, about the ability of American soldiers to follow their faith in ways consistent with real military needs:

The Army has granted a temporary religious accommodation for a Sikh member of the armed forces, who will be allowed to wear a beard and turban when he reports to a new post on Monday.

"My Sikh faith and military service are two core parts of who I am,” Capt. Simratpal Singh, 27, said in a statement issued Monday....

The Army, which maintains meticulous grooming standards, must decide whether to make the accommodation permanent. It has granted thousands of exceptions for beards based on medical reasons, according to a legal group working on behalf of Singh, which said his accommodation is only the fourth such given since the early 1980s. 

Here is the Army's letter with the interim permission. Congratulations--and best wishes in the future on this case--to The Becket Fund, which continues with its mission of defending religious liberty for all faiths.