Washington: A 26-year-old Sikh-American officer in the US Marines who has been allowed to wear the turban - the first person in the 246-year history of the elite force allowed to do so, but with a few limitations, plans to sue the Corps if he is not granted full religious accommodation, according to a media report.
“Almost every morning for five years, First Lt. Sukhbir Toor has pulled on the uniform of the United States Marine Corps. Recently, he also got to put on the turban of a faithful Sikh,” a report said. Toor’s turban is a first in the 246-year history of the Marine Corps, which has almost never allowed deviations from its hallowed image, the report added.
“I finally don’t have to pick which life I want to commit to, my faith or my country. I can be who I am and honour both sides,” Toor said in an interview. Toor’s case is the latest in a long-running conflict between two fundamental values in the United States military: “the tradition of discipline and uniformity, and the constitutional liberties the armed forces were created to defend," the report said.
However, Toor, who grew up in Washington and Ohio and is the son of Indian immigrants, has been allowed to wear the Turban while on duty with limitations. He "can wear a turban in daily dress at normal duty stations, but not while deployed to a conflict zone, or when in dress uniform in a ceremonial unit, where the public could see it."
The report said Toor has “appealed the restrictive decision to the Marine Corps commandant, and he says that if he does not get full accommodation, he will sue the Corps". “We’ve come a long way, but there is still more to go,” he said. “The Marine Corps needs to show it really means what it has been saying about strength in diversity - that it doesn’t matter what you look like, it just matters that you can do your job.”
The Corps has maintained that “uniformity was as essential to a fighting force as well-oiled rifles”. “In a stern response, one Marine Corps general warned that individual expression of that kind could fray the fabric of discipline and commitment that binds the Marines. It could erode the nation’s trust in the Corps. It could undermine combat effectiveness. It could cost lives,” the report said.
“The Corps cannot experiment with the components of mission accomplishment,” Lt. Gen. David A. Ottignon, the deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs, said in the response. “Failure on the battlefield is not an acceptable risk.” Toor said the limits meant that “I would have to either sacrifice my career or my ability to practice my religion.”
