Sikh Army captain allowed to wear beard and turban in uniform

For close to a decade, Simratpal Singh felt torn between the ideals of his faith and those of the U.S. Army.
No more.
The Army has granted Capt. Singh, a Sikh, permission to serve while wearing a turban over his long hair and a beard with his uniform.  

He is the first active duty soldier to be given such permission, according to The Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh American advocacy organization in the United States.
had a childhood fascination with the Army," Singh told CNN. "The Sikh concept of standing up for the weak and defending the defenseless is very much at the core of the Sikh psyche, and those are same ideals that the U.S. Army upholds."

Singh initially asked the Army for an exemption in October and was granted a temporary exemption in December. As it was about to expire in February, he was asked to report for additional gas and helmet testing, beyond the basic testing typically required.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/04/us/sikh-army-captain-simratpal-singh-beard-turban/index.html