US Army grants first ever religious exemption to a Christian soldier to allow him to his keep beard and grow hair long
Sgt. Jacob DiPietro is thought to be the first Christian in the US Army to receive a religious exemption to grow his hair and beard out
He is a follower of the Nazerite vow, which says no razor may be used on their head and forbids alcohol consumption
DiPietro joined the Army in 2010, but didn t seek to pursue his faith until 2017
In 2019 he applied for the exemption, but it languished in bureaucracy for two years
Sikh, Muslim and even a Norse Pagan service member have received religious hair exemptions in recent years