Last week, the U.S. Army granted Captain Simratpal Singh an exemption to accommodate his Sikh religious beliefs, which require him to keep a beard and wear a turban. He’s the first combat soldier to be granted such an exemption.

Captain Singh belongs to a very short list. Only six other service members have been granted a religious accommodation to wear a beard since 2009. One of these soldiers is Dr. Kamal Kalsi, also a Sikh, who was granted an exemption for his beard and turban. However, his accommodation was only temporary; he must renew his request for an accommodation each time he is transferred or deployed. This means that each time his assignment changes, he may be faced with the decision of whether to violate his religious beliefs or leave the service.