MAY 18, 2026 – The Department of the Air Force released a guidance memorandum updating DAFI 52-201, Religious Freedom in the Department of the Air Force, overhauling the religious accommodation request process for Airmen and Guardians.
The updated policy implements recent Secretary of War directives regarding facial hair and religious liberty, expanding the rigorous review requirements to all categories of religious accommodations across the force.
“This updated guidance ensures a critical balance between accommodating the sincerely held religious beliefs of our Airmen and Guardians and maintaining the rigorous safety and readiness standards required for operational superiority,” said Richard Anderson, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. “By streamlining this process and empowering unit commanders to conduct these assessments, we are ensuring equitable application of standards across the force without compromising our warfighting capabilities.”
The most significant change to the process is the elimination of Religious Resolution Teams. Under the previous regulation, RRTs were used to process, review and adjudicate religious accommodation requests. Now, unit commanders will directly obtain chaplain, legal and subject-matter input to build their assessments without convening a formalized board.
For Airmen and Guardians, the application process now requires a sworn written attestation affirming their belief is sincerely held and religious in nature. Members must also provide a specific description of the religious belief, an explanation of how it conflicts with prescribed military duties or standards, and supporting evidence, such as personal testimony or corroborating statements from religious leaders.
The update also shifts the responsibilities of military chaplains. Chaplains will no longer assess the sincerity of a member’s belief or comment on operational impacts. Under the new guidance, chaplains advise the chain of command exclusively on the religious nature of the belief.
Unit commanders are now required to submit comprehensive written assessments detailing both the sincerity of the request and its operational impact. This includes specific evaluations of the members’ current and anticipated work environments, upcoming deployments, and the expected use of personal protective equipment, such as helmets and respirators. Commanders must also document the number of similar non-religious exemptions, such as medical waivers, granted within the unit to ensure equitable application of standards.
The guidance memorandum mandates that all previously approved religious accommodations for facial hair must be re-evaluated under the criteria outlined in the Secretary of War’s March 11 memo. Members who opt out of the re-evaluation process will have their accommodation rescinded.
The decision authorities for facial hair accommodation requests now falls under the Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower, and Personnel and Services and Space Force Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Personnel, ensuring centralized oversight and consistency across the DAF. Decision authorities for all other religious accommodation types are in the updated guidance.
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs