Dress instructions | Section 3 Religious And Spiritual Consideration On Dress

1. The purpose of this section is to address any religious and spiritual considerations that are not already covered in the above directives related to dress and appearance. CAF members are encouraged to develop their awareness and sensitivity in order to provide inclusive leadership when addressing religious and spiritual considerations and the following guidelines.

CONTEXT

2. The normative standards/requirements of various religious and spiritual traditions should be respected at all times, as must be the desire of members from these traditions who choose not to identify with a specific custom/practice. Advice may be obtained through the chain of command from the Base/Wing/Formation Chaplain, NDHQ/Office of the Chaplain General (OCG), and/or NDHQ/Directorate Human Rights and Diversity (DHRD), while ensuring DHH is informed and consulted.
3. Religious and spiritual-related items or accessories which are not visible or otherwise apparent are unregulated and may always be worn provided they do not interfere with personal safety, the proper wear and use of uniform items, accoutrements, and/or equipment.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

4. 4. Indigenous members, who were issued the Aboriginal Veteran Millennium Medal (AVMM), may wear the Medal during Indigenous-specific events (e.g., Indigenous festival, Indigenous Achievement Awards, Pow Wows, etc.), at parades and events honouring Indigenous CAF members and Remembrance Day. The Aboriginal Veteran Millennium Medal is worn with the order of dress #1 and #3 and is to be placed on the right-hand side of the uniform, under the member’s name tag.
5. The Métis Sash may be worn by Métis members of the CAF during all ceremonial occasions or events, including but not limited to parades, mess dinners, award presentations, Indigenous events, or recruiting events. The Sash is not limited to an order of dress.
1. Métis Sash; is to be worn as per Métis teachings as follows;
1. Around the waist, outside the tunic or jacket, tied on the left, with the sash ends falling off the left hip. The sash is worn under a ceremonial waist belt when worn, or
2. Over the right shoulder, falling off the left hip. The sash is worn under a ceremonial waist belt when worn.

MEMBERS OF THE SIKH FAITH

6. A CAF member who is an adherent of the Sikh faith shall wear CAF pattern uniforms and adhere to standard CAF dress policy and instructions, with the following exceptions:
1. Five symbolic requirements of the Sikh religion are authorized for wear (see paragraph 8), with all orders of dress. Should a conflict arise between the requirements to wear safety or operational items of clothing and equipment and these religious symbols, the manner and location of wearing these symbols shall be adjusted. Unit commanders retain the right to order the manner of this adjustment as necessary to meet safety and operational requirements; and
2. A dastar, also referred as turban, may be worn by members with ceremonial, mess, and service dress. Dastars may also be worn with occupational and operational dress, subject to the safety and operational considerations noted in sub-paragraph a., above. When engaged in combat operations, operational training or when serving with peacekeeping or multinational contingents, adherents of the Sikh religion shall, when deemed essential, cover their head with a patka or other customary clothing item, over which they shall wear the headdress (including combat helmets) and other items of military equipment as ordered by the commanding officer.
7. Except as otherwise provided, the dastar worn by members and additional authorized headdress worn by members shall not be ordered to be removed, including the cap badge, while wearing uniform. Similarly, when on duty wearing civilian clothing, a civilian dastar and an appropriate civilian head covering shall not be ordered to be removed. Specifically, such headdress shall not be ordered to be removed:
1. On parade;
2. By a member of the bearer party at a military funeral;
3. During the administration of the Oath of Allegiance by an attesting officer;
4. When attending or being paraded as the accused before a trying officer at a summary hearing or investigation;
5. When attending or being paraded as the accused before a court martial;
6. When entering a consecrated building;
7. When entering a mess, canteen or dining room; and
8. At functions, when the removal of headdress might otherwise be considered appropriate.
8. Adherents of the Sikh religion may observe the following five symbolic requirements:
2. Kesh – leave hair on the head, face and body uncut;
3. Kanga – wear a comb;
4. Kara – wear an iron bangle (bracelet);
5. Keshera – wear under-drawers of a specific design; and
6. Kirpan – wear a symbolic dagger (including sheath and strap). The Kirpan must be worn in a fashion to permit the correct wearing of the uniform and any necessary safety equipment. It is to be worn under the tunic and shall not pass the lower portion of the tunic or be seen.
9. The colour of dastar (see also Chapter 5, Section 1) should match the regimental/branch/corps headdress colour and shall be:

Environments	No. 1	No. 2	No. 3	No. 5
RCN*	White	Black	White	Navy Blue (Black)
CA	Rifle Green	Midnight Blue	Rifle Green	Rifle Green
RCAF	RCAF Blue	Midnight Blue	RCAF Blue	RCAF Blue
CANSOFCOM	Tan	N/A	Tan	Tan
Armoured	Black	Midnight Blue	Black	Black
Footguard	Khaki	Midnight Blue	Khaki	Khaki
Artillery and RCEME	Blue	Midnight Blue	Blue	Blue
Airborne	Maroon	Midnight Blue	Maroon	Maroon
MP (RCN)	White	Black	White or Scarlet	Scarlet
MP (CA)	Scarlet	Midnight Blue	Scarlet	Scarlet
MP (RCAF)	RCAF Blue	Midnight Blue	Scarlet	Scarlet
MP (SOF)	Per Environment	Per Environment	Per Environment	Scarlet
SAR Tech	RCAF Blue	Midnight Blue	RCAF Blue	International Orange

* White when peaked caps are worn, navy blue (black) when Naval berets/ball caps are worn.

NOTE

Dastars for Mess Dress shall not include the wearing of a cap badge. The dastar for Mess Dress is also at the member’s own expense.

10. Crossed 4 cm ribbons shall be worn on dastar by commissioned officers and Chief Petty Officers/Chief Warrant Officers, and may be worn by NCMs. Ribbons are optional with operational dress. The dastars shall have black ribbons that may be modified to reflect designs or piping of normal headdress.
11. MPs wearing Military Police Occupational Patrol Dress (MPOPD) shall wear scarlet beret or dastar, with MP Branch cap badge.
12. MPs shall wear two 3 cm wide scarlet ribbons with their applicable environmental colour dastar per the table below:

Environments	No. 1	No. 2	No. 3	No. 5
MP (RCN)	x	x	x
MP (CA)		x
MP (RCAF)		x
MP (SOF)	Per Environment	x	Per Environment

13. The Patka/Pug/Fiftee see (Figure 2-3-1) is optional. If worn the patka/pug/fiftee may be black in colour or in accordance with branch/corps/regimental customs.
14. Method of Wear. The following instructions are not intended to detail the method of styling and wearing of hair on the head, of wearing the comb or of winding the dastar. Instead, they provide sufficient direction to ensure uniformity of dress amongst Sikh members. Accordingly, symbols and associated badges shall be worn as follows:
1. Dastar. Worn in a low, Sikh conventional manner. If ribbons are worn, their lower edge shall be 2 cm from the lowest edge of the dastar at the sides of the head, and crossed right over left at the centre of the forehead;
2. Cap Badge. Worn centered on the front of the dastar and on the crossing point of any ribbons. The badge shall be locally modified to provide a brooch fastener, or by other means, to secure it to the cloth. The cap badge may be removed for safety concerns;
3. Patka. A traditional Sikh cloth head-covering worn when a dastar is not suitable, such as under combat, flying or diving helmets, or during sports or strenuous physical activity see (Figure 2-3-1);
4. Fiftee (or Pug). A Fiftee is a small band of cloth that is visible on the forehead just under the dastar;
5. Kesh (Hair). Members may wrap or tie the Kesh on their head in a manner of their choosing and as necessary to facilitate the wearing of a dastar or other operational headwear;
6. Kanga (Comb). Typically worn concealed in the hair;
7. Kara (Bangle or Bracelet). Typically worn on the dominant wrist; and
8. Kirpan (Dagger). Worn by initiated Sikhs, Kirpan shall remain sheathed, except for religious ceremonies and for cleaning purposes. The sheathed Kirpan, worn under the outer shirt or jacket, shall be supported by a cloth sling, slung from the right shoulder to the left side. Should the Kirpan interfere with the wearing of uniform accoutrements or equipment, it may be worn in a modified manner.

Figure 2-3-1 Authorized Sikh Items of Wear

MEMBERS OF THE MUSLIM FAITH

15. For religious and / or spiritual consideration, members are authorized to wear the hijab. A tailored long sleeve shirt in lieu of a short sleeve (SS) shirt in number 3B order of dress is authorised. The Mess Dress jacket may be adjusted to follow the faith requirement in accordance with the Environments, Corps, Regiments and Branches.
16. Method of wear
1. The hijab must be worn in a fashion to permit the correct wearing of CAF head dress and any necessary safety equipment;
2. The hijab is worn under the shirt collar in all orders of dress; and
3. The shirt may be worn outside the skirt and pants in all order of dress. It shall not pass the lower portion of the tunic or sweater.
17. The hijab comes in two styles; a one piece and two pieces. Both styles are authorised.
18. The colour of hijab (an extension of the shirt) shall be:
1. Naval uniform – Black in Service Orders of Dress, white in Ceremonial and Mess Dress;
2. Army uniform – Canadian average green/coyote in Operational Dress, Light Green in Ceremonial/Service Orders of Dress, white in Mess Dress. Canadian Rangers, Red;
3. Air Force uniform – Blue in Operational Dress, RCAF blue in Ceremonial/Service Orders of Dress and white in Mess Dress; and
4. CANSOFCOM – tan

MEMBERS OF THE JEWISH FAITH

19. For religious and/or spiritual consideration, CAF members of the Jewish faith are authorized, when not wearing military headdress, to wear CADPAT Temperate weather, CADPAT Arid, or an RCN approved kippot with Operational Orders of Dress, and to wear an authorized plain, unpatterned, unadorned, cloth kippot in accordance with elemental headdress materials and colours (black for RCN, green for CA, blue for RCAF, and tan for CANSOFCOM ) with Ceremonial Service and Mess Orders of Dress. Civilian kippot are not authorized for use while in CAF uniform.
20. The colour of kippot upon removal of headdress shall be:
1. Naval uniform – white when peaked caps are worn, or navy blue (black) when berets are worn;
2. Army uniform – dark green/rifle green in Ceremonial/Mess Dress;
3. Air force uniform – RCAF blue in Ceremonial/Mess Dress;
4. CANSOFCOM – tan;