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Pagan Nevada Guard Soldier Gets Waiver to Grow Beard; More May Follow

Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Hopper of the Nevada Army Guard's 3665th Ordnance Company is the first Nevada Army Guard Soldier to receive a religious accommodation for a beard. Hopper received his religious accommodation based on his Norse Pagan beliefs. (U.S. Army photo/Erick Studenicka)

The Nevada Army Guard's first religious accommodation waiver granted a Norse Pagan soldier permission to grow a beard. Now, it is considering two similar requests from Pagan soldiers, according to a recent Army news release.

In 2017, the Defense Department expanded the number of faiths it recognizes and released guidance on how troops can apply for a religious accommodation waiver that will let them wear otherwise-prohibited items, such as a turban, headscarf or beard, in accordance with their "sincerely held beliefs."

Since then, the Army and Air Force have made headlines by granting waivers that accommodate service members of the Sikh and Muslim faiths, which often require wearing a turban or beard.

A waiver allowed Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Hopper of the Nevada Army Guard's 3665th Ordnance Company grow a Norse beard, or Skegg, which he sees as a "sacred and defining feature of masculine men."

"In short, it is honoring the pillars of Heathenism, our ancestors and ancient Gods and way of life," the 34-year-old from Madison, Alabama, said in a release. "My personal faith is deeply tied to the modern warrior lifestyle that I have been able to live during my military career."

His polytheistic religion is based on Scandinavian-centric ancient beliefs and practices.

Service members seeking religious accommodation waivers must submit to their General Court-Martial Convening Authority officer a packet that includes their written request, a chaplain's interview memorandum, a legal review and recommendations from their chain of command.

The news release predicted the Nevada Guard will see an increase in religious accommodations as military regulations and policies evolve.

However, Maj. Donald Crandell, Joint Force State Chaplain, said waivers should be reserved for "extraordinary" steps to show faith or belief while on military duty.

"The chaplain corps will work with any military member to aid them in a genuine pursuit of an accommodation," Crandell said. "However, we are not actively promoting a trend in this direction or seeking to normalize it."

Meanwhile, Hopper has been deployed to Afghanistan for the last two months and said he keeps his waiver with him at all times in case he encounters superiors who don't know about this new process in the Army.

"Once I present my memorandum for record and cite all of the applicable regulations and directives, the focus on the beard tends to go away, for the most part," he said. "I see it as a phase very similar to when the Army authorized the wear of black socks during the fitness test. It is something new and authorized, and you will always encounter people who do not like change. That is just life."

But his waiver for the groomed, maximum 2-inch beard could be suspended at any point if there's a "threat of toxic exposure" in Afghanistan.

"I have had absolutely no hindrance to my professional performance or accomplishment of the mission due to my beard while deployed in Afghanistan," Hopper said. "I do get up a little earlier than others to make sure it is in accordance with AR 670-1, but that is about it."

-- Dorothy Mills-Gregg can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @DMillsGregg.

A soldier just got authorization to wear a beard because of his Norse pagan faith

When the Army authorized beards for religious soldiers in early 2017, the move was a response to years of requests — and a lawsuit — from Sikh soldiers seeking to both serve and adhere to the tenets of their faith.

But the directive, technically, applied to all religions.

And that includes Norse pagans, also known as heathens, according to an undated memo from the 14th Military Police Brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

“I grant your accommodation, subject to the standards and limitations described below,” commander Col. Curtis Shroeder wrote to a 795th Military Police Battalion soldier, whose name is redacted from a copy of the memo circulating on Facebook.

“In observance of your Heathen; Norse Pagan faith, you may wear a beard, in accordance with Army uniform and grooming standards for soldiers with approved religious accommodations.”

Per the latest version of AR 670-1, beards with approved accommodations must be less than 2 inches long, measured from the bottom of the chin, and cannot be groomed with any petroleum-based products.

While beards are required by religious tenet for practicing Sikhs, the rules are murkier for heathens.

The Hammer of Thor is an emblem that's part of the Norse Pagan faith. It is available to be placed on government headstones and markers in the United States. (File photo)

According to the Open Halls Project, an advocacy group for heathens serving in the military, the beard is a beloved tradition, but not a requirement.

“There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry,” according to a 2017 post about beards. “Sikhs are allowed to wear beards and turbans because it actually is a religious requirement of their faith that they do so. Kesh, or ‘uncut hair’ is one of the five religious requirements of baptized Sikhs. We, as Heathens, have no such religious requirement with regards to hair.”

A Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, spokeswoman confirmed to Army Times the memo’s authenticity.

“All proper procedures outlined in Army Directives 2017-03 and 2016-34 were followed when requesting and approving this religious accommodation,” Tiffany Wood told Army Times on Monday.

Going legit

Authorizing a heathen beard is a big step in a long road for soldiers who practice Norse paganism.

As of 2015, the Army had accepted a request to add the religion to its list of faith codes, but before final approval, the Pentagon initiated a review of all religions recognized by the Defense Department.

However, the Hammer of Thor is still authorized for placement on military cemetery headstones, per a 2013 decision.

Soldier allowed to have a beard because of his Norse Pagan faith

Instructors with the 14th Military Police Brigade demonstrate proper room clearing techniques to explorers during the Bi-Annual National Law Enforcement Explorers Academy. A member of the brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. has been granted religious accommodation to have a beard because of his of the Norse Pagan faith. (Valerie Collins/U.S. Army)

First the Sikhs. Now the Pagans.

A member of the Norse Pagan Faith, serving in the 795th Military Police Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., has been granted permission to wear a beard under a 2017 Army policy directive which makes it easier for soldiers to receive exemptions from grooming and appearance regulations if they conflict with their religious beliefs.

“In observance of your Heathen, Norse Pagan faith, you may wear a beard, in accordance with Army uniform and grooming standards for Soldiers with approved religious accommodations provided in Army regulation (AR) 670-1,” said a memo signed by Col. Curtis M. Shroeder, commander of the 14th Military Police Brigade.

The 2017 policy changed allowed brigade-level commanders to authorize the exemption based on religious grounds – and with some limits on the length and appearance of the beard.

A copy of the memo circulated on social media with the soldier’s name redacted. Fort Leonard Wood spokeswoman Tiffany Wood confirmed the authenticity of the memo to Army Times.

The 2017 change to Army Regulation 670-1 was authorized by then-Army Secretary Eric Fanning, mostly to accommodate observant Sikhs, whose religion requires adult males to wear beards, and conservative Muslim women who must wear head coverings under tenets of their faith.

“The soldier’s brigade-level commander will approve a request for a religious accommodation … unless the commander determines the request is not based on a sincerely held religious belief, or identifies a specific, concrete hazard that is not specifically addressed in this directive and that cannot be mitigated by reasonable measures,” Fanning wrote.

However, the directive didn’t stipulate which religions were covered by the exemptions. Nor did the directive differentiate between mandatory requirements – such as Sikh men wearing beards – and customary practices – such as wearing apparel in other faiths. According to the Open Halls Project, an advocacy group for heathens serving in the military, the beard is a tradition, but not a requirement.

“There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry,” said an April 2017 post on the Open Halls Project website. “Sikhs are allowed to wear beards and turbans because it actually is a religious requirement of their faith that they do so. Kesh, or ‘uncut hair’ is one of the five religious requirements of baptized Sikhs. We, as Heathens, have no such religious requirement with regards to hair.”

Heathenry is a religious movement based on pre-Christian belief systems of Germanic peoples in early Medieval Europe. Their communities exist in the United States, Europe and Australia.

In March of 2017, the Pentagon expanded its list of recognized faith groups to include among others atheists, agnostics, shaman, humanist and pagan.

The Hammer of Thor, the emblem of the Norse Pagan Faith, is authorized for military headstones.

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