A Pensacola Naval Air Station sailor who was told to remove her hijab has requested official permission to wear the head covering while attending the base's Naval Air Technical Training Center.
Lt. Cmdr. Katherine Meadows, spokeswoman for the training center, said the student made the official request after she was told by an instructor to take off her hijab.
Meadows said the student was previously denied a request to wear the hijab during her eight-week basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station in Illinois.
"Upon her arrival at Naval Air Technical Training Center, she did not have commanding officer approval to wear the hijab, therefore she was appropriately directed to remove it to ensure compliance with Navy standards," Meadows said in an emailed statement.
Meadows said the Navy's uniform regulations do not authorize the wearing of a hijab or any other non-uniform items unless the sailor is granted a waiver based on an exception to the policy. Religious exceptions are allowed, but must be requested and approved. [Pensacola News Journal] Read more
