A ‘defining feature of masculine men’ — soldier’s Norse pagan faith earns beard waiver
By: J.D. Simkins
A soldier serving in Afghanistan with the Nevada Army Guard has been granted a religious accommodation to grow a beard in accordance with a Norse pagan faith that traces its origins to Scandinavia.
Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Hopper, a 34-year-old Alabama native and member of the Nevada Army Guard’s 3665th Ordnance Company, was granted the waiver following a lengthy review process that concluded with the Army’s acknowledgement of his sincerity as a heathen.
Hopper’s exemption is the latest example of the military’s effort — most notably the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force — to acknowledge the diverse religious practices represented in its ranks.
https://www.armytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2019/12/30/a-defining-feature-of-masculine-men-soldiers-norse-pagan-faith-earns-beard-waiver/
