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Officer who secured Sikh accommodations advances in US Army
Simratpal SIngh marked his promotion to lieutenant colonel with a message about service and gratitude.
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Pranavi Sharma - Thu, 27, Nov 2025
- 01:54 EST
- 15
Simratpal SIngh. / US Army
Simratpal “Simmer” Singh, a U.S. Army officer whose battle to maintain his Sikh articles of faith helped reshape military policy, was promoted from major to lieutenant colonel on Nov. 26, the Sikh Coalition said.
During the ceremony, Singh reflected on his path from rural Punjab to the Army ranks. “The Army and this Nation have given this village kid from Punjab far more than he deserves, and my hope is to be able to give even a tenth of it back,” he said. The Army provided photos of the event.
The Sikh Coalition described Singh as a longtime client and partner. The organization noted that it had worked with him in 2015 to secure the right to wear his beard and turban in uniform, a change that preceded a broader Army policy shift in 2017. That update allowed Sikh soldiers to request similar accommodations without facing the choice Singh confronted at the start of his career.
Singh’s entry into Army life began with a difficult compromise. Born in Punjab and raised partly in California and Seattle after his family fled political violence, he entered West Point in 2006 knowing he would be ordered to shave his beard. He complied but later said he struggled with the decision. “I felt like the very values that would make me a good Soldier are the ones I had violated,” he said in a past Army profile.
His accommodation came after he connected with Sikh Coalition attorneys at an event in Washington, leading to a high-profile case that opened the door for future Sikh recruits. Singh has since worked with advocacy groups to support similar policy changes in the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.
Over nearly two decades of service, Singh has completed Ranger School, earned a Bronze Star for clearing explosive devices in Afghanistan and taught at West Point. He is now attending the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth.
The Sikh Coalition said it remains focused on ensuring that Sikh service members are able to maintain their religious practice in uniform, adding that no one should face a choice between “their religion and their career.”
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