America is the land of the free, but if a person is serving in the armed forces, there will be some sacrifices he or she has to make to fulfill their duty. Such are requirements for personal grooming, as men in the military are required to keep themselves well-kept and clean shaven for specific reasons, such as being able to wear gas masks if necessary.
Recently, an Army sergeant from Florida was given a religious exemption from these rules, a victory that he believes is bittersweet. According to the New York Post, Sgt. Jacob DiPietro applied for religious exemption in November of 2019 because his religious beliefs ordered him to abide by the Nazirite vow from the Old Testament that prohibits the use of razors on the head and requires believers to "let their hair grow long."
The Christian Army sergeant, who is a cargo specialist with the Florida Army Reserve's 489th Transportation Company, requested "to wear a beard and uncut hair," which was granted last week by Army officials when they saw that it was "based on a sincerely held religious belief."
This is not the first time the Army allowed religious exemptions to their rules, as such exemptions were made for Sikhs, Muslims, and Norse pagans who serve in the military. The Army sergeant from Florida, however, is one of the first known Christians to be granted a religious exemption.
But it wasn't an easy journey for DiPietro, who admitted that he had to undergo a painful process of getting approval and even bullying from other soldiers that sparked a decision to leave the service once his contract is up in 2022.
"There are things that I see and I don't like...like the way soldiers are treated when they seek an exception to policy while following Army regulation," DiPietro told Task & Purpose. "If a soldier is following the rules as set by the Army, they should absolutely be free from harassment discrimination."
The Christian Army sergeant admitted that he felt as if there was a culture of "fearful and hating towards that which is different." DiPietro said he became a devout Christian during a "really dark time" in his life when he was deployed in Kuwait in 2017. He also advocated for those who are like him who seek religious exemptions to "not give up" and "stand by your decision" but admitted that it was a truly harrowing process to go through.
DiPietro has served in the Army since 2010, when he turned 18, but it was only in 2017 when the service allowed religious exemptions. The Christian Army sergeant shared that he was inspired to serve when in 2001 following the 9/11 attacks, his third grade teacher who was in the Marine Corps reserve was called away to serve. DiPietro never saw his teacher again but knew that serving in the Army was his true calling.
DiPietro warned others who want to use the Nazirite vow as an excuse not to shave or cut their hair, saying that he did extensive research over the span of six months, "re-reading every applicable Army regulation" because he was well aware that if any of his request claims were false, it would be used to deny his request.
Later on, Brig. Gen. Stephen Rutner, commander of the Army Reserve deployment support command approved the request because they believed "there is every indication that this moral decision to adhere to the Nazarite vow is a large and important pillar to [DiPietro's] spiritual health and well-being."
