People

I Love My Country:
Sikh-American Maj Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi

by JOHN RAMSEY

 

 

 

At an Army post known for its red-capped paratroopers and green beret Special Forces, Major Kamaljeet ("Kamal") Singh Kalsi dons a camouflage turban.

And unlike most Fort Bragg soldiers, who visit a barber weekly, Kamal  has never shaved or had a haircut. He is one of three Sikh-American soldiers serving in the U.S. Army, and the only one at Fort Bragg.

Kamal, 35, is an emergency room doctor at Womack Army Medical Center, where he says his similarities with soldiers have outweighed his differences.

"I'm just one of the guys here. When they see me, I'm not the dude with the turban," said Kamal, whose headgear and unshorn hair are allowed because they are articles of faith of his religion. "I'm just another one of the ER docs doing his job."

That wasn't always the case. He was bullied as a child. After 9/11, some civilians looked at his turban and treated him as if he helped bring the towers down. Some Sikhs-Americans were among the first killed in hate crimes after 9/11, in cases of mistaken identity.

Even when he wears his Army uniform through an airport, he is picked out for extra screening.

"I've been called Osama bin Laden, and worse," Kamal said.

But the occasional vitriol has never made him question his decision to join the Army, where he protects the right of those people to say those things.

Serving in the military runs in his family, and in his faith. Sikhism is a religion that teaches there are many paths to find one God. It stresses service to others and defending the rights of anyone who is oppressed. Sikhs have a long military tradition. More than 80,000 Sikhs died fighting alongside the allies in World War I and II.

Kamal was born on an Indian air force base. His father and grandfather were airmen there, and his great-grandfather served in the Royal British Army. When he was 2 years old, his parents moved to the United States, landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport with $5 in their pockets.

Becoming a soldier was always one of his boyhood dreams.

In 2000, while enrolled in medical school, he entered the F. Edward Hebert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program. In exchange for three years of active-duty service, the Army paid his tuition.

Kamal never had an issue wearing his turban while serving in the Army Reserves as he finished medical school. But he found out before going on active duty that an Army policy from the 1980s would require him to set aside his turban and cut his hair.

After he garnered more than 15,000 petitions from around the world along with a letter signed by about 50 congressmen, Kamal received permission to adapt his military uniform to fit his religious uniform. He described the process as simply a lot of paperwork.

In addition to the turban and unshorn locks, Sikhs are required to wear a steel bracelet, a small comb in their hair and long boxer-like shorts.

"Each of the symbols we keep, we feel have a spiritual purpose, as well as a more practical purpose. Certainly, if you see a Sikh in a crowd of thousands or ten thousands, you'll be able to identify the Sikh," said Kamal, who often ends sentences with a clipped cadence similar to President Obama's. "And the founders of our religion wanted us to be easily identifiable, because social service is such a big part of our religion."

Kamal finished a seven-month tour in Afghanistan in the fall, where he was in charge of a medical tent in Helmand province, one of the most dangerous places in the country.

Now, when he has time away from the chaos of the Womack emergency room - where he may treat a stubbed toe, an open fracture, an asthmatic baby and a stopped heart in one night - Kamal returns to his house in New Jersey, where his parents, siblings, wife and children live.

He met Chinar about 15 years ago in an America Online chat room, back when the Internet was new. He was in college in New Jersey. She was studying in California. They became friends, then more. One semester, he had to get a job to pay off his $3,000 phone bill.

In 2003, after riding in on a white horse with a kirpan at his side, Kamal married Chinar. They have two small children: Maya and Kabir.

He hopes his son, Kabir, will follow the family footsteps into the military.

Kamal said his patriotism runs deep: His favorite holiday is July 4, and he still gets choked up when the national anthem plays.

"I love this country. I think the diversity that's reflected within our population is what makes us strong," he said. "I think that's the strength I bring to the Army. An Army that is as diverse as its people is a stronger one."

 

[Courtesy: Fayette Observer. Edited for sikhchic.com]

December 8, 2011

 

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