- Thursday, February 27, 2025
Jaskirat Singh’s achievement was facilitated by a federal court ruling in April, which ordered the Marine Corps to accommodate the recruit’s religious practices, as reported by the US media.
By: Shubham Ghosh
IN a groundbreaking incident, a 21-year-old Sikh Marine has successfully completed elite US Marine Corps recruit training, marking a historic moment where he retained his religious articles of faith without compromising on his deeply held beliefs.
Private First Class Jaskirat Singh, the trailblazing Marine, accomplished the milestone at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. The achievement was facilitated by a federal court ruling in April, which ordered the Marine Corps to accommodate the recruit’s religious practices, as reported by The Washington Times.
Early photos from the USMC recruit training graduation of Private First Class Jaskirat Singh today in San Diego, CA. (Photo Credit: Mark Abramson via the Sikh Coalition) Learn more about PFC Singh –> https://t.co/oYbiupfljI pic.twitter.com/rNcYLzB0nf
— Sikh Coalition (@sikh_coalition) August 11, 2023
The ruling followed a legal battle initiated by three Sikhs, along with Jewish and Muslim recruits, who sued the Marines seeking religious accommodations. While the Army and Air Force had already extended such accommodations, attorney Giselle Klapper with the Sikh Coalition said, the Navy provided more limited options, with the Marines maintaining the most stringent regulations.
Singh’s achievement is particularly noteworthy as he is likely the first enlisted Marine to graduate from recruit training while proudly adhering to his Sikh religious traditions, including sporting a beard and turban. The Sikh Coalition, in conjunction with other advocacy groups, played a pivotal role in supporting over 50 Sikh Americans in securing military accommodations for their religious attire.
A federal court of appeals granted Singh a preliminary injunction last year, permitting him to start training without the requirement to shave his head and beard, a customary practice for recruits at boot camp. The injunction also granted him the right to wear religious articles such as turbans and patkas.
Singh expressed deep pride in his achievement and his gratitude to his fellow recruits for their unwavering support of his religious convictions. He chose the Marine Corps due to its alignment with his Sikh values of honour, courage and commitment.
“Making it through Recruit Training is an achievement I am deeply proud to share with all of my brothers and sisters in my battalion,” Singh was quoted as saying by the Messenger news website.
“The fact that I did it with my Sikh articles of faith, which posed no barrier to my achievement, is deeply meaningful to me personally,” he added.
While the court order initially applied only to Singh, there is a collective hope among advocates, including Klapper and Amandeep S Sidhu, another lawyer who worked on the case, that the Marine Corps will extend these accommodations to all Sikh recruits.
(With agency inputs)
