My Journey to Serve in the US Army
By Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan
The fascinating uniforms worn by Sikh Soldiers during World Wars I and II captivated my attention when I was a teenager. With resolve and determination to join the U.S. Armed Forces, I was unaware of the struggles I would face when I began my own journey to serve. I was lost in my dreams of saving the world as a Sikh and I felt invincible! However, my dream was shattered in a split second when a U.S. Army recruiter told me that I had to shave my beard and remove my “hat” if I wanted to serve in “his Army in his country.” Oh man! While I knew in my heart that I was an American—so much so that I was willing to join the Army and die for my country—I felt so out of place. I was disheartened and—in that moment—immensely missed my home country, India, where I knew that as a Sikh I could not only be in the Army, but rise to the highest ranks of military leadership. That was 1998.
After being rejected by the U.S. Army, I initially questioned and tested my allegiance to my religion but quickly restored my commitment to my faith and knew that one day I would be successful. I knew in my heart that while the U.S. Army was restricting Sikhs from serving our country, they could not take away centuries of martial history created by Sikhs serving and fighting for injustice around the world. After receiving my B.S. in Bio-Medical Engineering from Wright State University, I revisited a U.S. Army recruiter’s office once again. Unfortunately, he gave me the same answer which I heard in 1998. But then he gave me a glimmer of hope—he told me about a Sikh who was serving as an active duty Colonel in the U.S. Army!
COL G.B. Singh, an Army Dentist, served as a Periodontist and an Active Duty officer. Between internet searches and my family network, I added another Sikh Soldier to the list–COL Arjinderpal Singh Sekhon, an Army Reservist serving as a pulmonologist in the U.S. Army. After seeing these rays of light, I asked myself, “how in the world did these guys get to live a blessed life of a Sikh serving in the U.S. Army?” I knew that Sikhs had been excluded from serving in the U.S. Army service since the early 1980s when the Reagan administration banned most forms of religious dress in the military.
I refused to accept our military’s discriminatory policy. In my mind, I knew that it was 2001 and as an American citizen I should have the right to serve and defend my country from terrorists that threatened our way of life. With my desire to serve in our military locked in my heart, I continued my education by enrolling into a dual Master’s program in Engineering and Management. When I visited a recruiter for a third time in 2003—with a dual Master’s degree under my belt—his answer remained the same. I would have to shave my beard, cut my hair, and remove my turban to serve in the U.S. Army.
I didn’t pursue service in the U.S. Army again until 2006, but this time things were different. Call it “Sikh Luck,” but things were finally pointing in the right direction.” I was in dental school at NYU and my recruiter agreed to submit paperwork to the U.S. Army Dental Command. She was confident that—like COL Singh and COL Sekhon before me—I would be allowed to serve with my Sikh turban and uncut hair. I was thrilled when I received my official acceptance as a reservist in the U.S. Army! I was granted a waiver from the post commander at Ft. Hamilton to follow through MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) for my physical checkup. I finally started believing in our country as “The Land of Opportunity” that I knew it was, but in the back of my mind I knew that my fight was not over. But then, more than ever, I was determined to persevere. I did some more research hoping to discover other Sikhs who were in the same boat. That’s when I found Dr. Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, who was finishing his medical residency in New Jersey.
Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan with his wife Dr. Jasjeet Kaur, father Dr Hardeep Singh Deep, and mother Satinder Kaur & Sister Dr. Deepinder Kaur
Dr. Kalsi and I decided to pursue legal assistance in order to make the transition from our schooling to Active Duty service. We reached out to the Sikh Coalition, a rather new but wellrecognized organization that had lawyers and advocates ready to spring into action. Starting in 2008, the Sikh Coalition began to figure out how we would go about getting the U.S. Army to accommodate our mandatory religious practices as Sikhs. The Sikh Coalition brought in a law firm, McDermott Will & Emery LLP, and together our legal team worked with the U.S. Army and Department of Defense for nearly a year to help us to obtain individual religious accommodations to serve our country with our uncut hair and beards and turbans intact. We were so proud to be able to serve our country without compromising our faith—it was a dream come true! As someone who is unfamiliar with being in the limelight, I was suddenly projected onto center stage.
I became the first Sikh in over 25 years to attend OBLC (Officer Basic Leadership Course)—AKA boot camp for officers. On the February 1, 2010, all the OBLC attendees were convened on the parade ground of Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. The Company Commander, a captain, called me out of the formation and announced to all my fellow soldiers the details of my religious accommodation. He made it very clear to everyone that he would not tolerate any retaliation against me. Furthermore, he disclosed that offenders, if any, would be punished under Uniform Code of Military Justice. I knew it was my time to shine and I had to perform with a smile on my face! So, I put on my camouflage turban to match my ACUs and a black turban to match my ASUs, I wore a helmet over a smaller camo turban in the field and I sealed my gas mask without any issues. In fact, I not only passed my fit test, but remained in the gas chamber for longer than any other soldiers in my cohort. I knew that I had disproven the assumptions that had kept Sikhs from joining the U.S. Army for over two decades.
OBLC 2010: Captain Rattan along with fellow soldiers
I graduated from OBLC in April 2010 and reported to Ft. Drum, NY, my first duty station. As a dentist, I met and treated many Soldiers serving in the Army in every possible field from the 11 Bravo’s to the 88 Mike’s. I volunteered for deployment to Afghanistan and served as a PROFIS doctor with the 62nd Medical Brigade and the 710 BSB of 10th Mountain light infantry division. Traveling “outside the wire” with 10th Mountain Soldiers and serving our Soldiers in the most austere parts of Afghanistan were the highlights of my deployment. I was living my dream.
Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan in Afghanistan, Colonel Jerad Helwig presenting end of deployment award
Currently, I am stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC as a General Dentist and my commitment as an Active Duty Soldier ends in July 2015. Before transitioning to the Army Reserves, I proudly and honorably share with you my almost unimaginable, but amazing experience with the U.S. Army. It was wrought with challenges, but in the end, the fight was worth it. I know that the Sikh Coalition will not stop until we have a policy change that allows all Sikhs—not just those with a team of lawyers—to serve our country.
I hope my story empowers Sikh youth and others who may be facing obstacles and hurdles in their paths. I am grateful for the many advisors and loyal supporters who have assisted and encouraged me on this long journey. One of the best ways to be recognized by our fellow Americans is by sacrifice—proving our loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage for our beloved country. No matter how daunting the challenge may be, I assure you that there are lights at the end of those long tunnels!
For serious questions and inquiries only, please contact me at[email protected]