Capt. Pratima Dharm was commissioned as the first Hindu chaplain in the U.S. Army in 2011, expanding formal religious representation in the armed forces. Lt. Cmdr. Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi and Capt. Tejdeep Singh Rattan secured waivers to serve while maintaining their articles of Sikh faith, including unshorn hair and turbans. Their cases helped pave the way for a permanent Army policy adopted in 2017, allowing observant Sikhs to serve without abandoning their religious identity. Together, these milestones broadened religious inclusion within one of America’s oldest public institutions.
