Wiccans and Pagans in the United States military facts for kids
Wiccans and Pagans in the United States military have slowly gained more official recognition since the late 1990s. The Wiccan pentacle is now a symbol allowed on gravestones for soldiers, approved by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2007. This happened after a legal case about the grave of a Wiccan soldier named Patrick Stewart. In 2011, the United States Air Force Academy even built a special outdoor worship area for "Earth-based religions" like Paganism and Native American traditions. However, as of 2022, there are no official Wiccan or Pagan chaplains in the military.
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How Many Wiccans and Pagans Are There?
The Navy and Army do not keep track of how many Wiccans and Pagans serve. But in 2007, the Pentagon counted over 1,500 Wiccans in the Air Force and 350 in the Marines. People who support Pagans in the military thought that the total number of Pagans could be between 10,000 and 20,000 in 2012. They noted that some people might not list their religion on official forms. In the past, soldiers could only choose "no preference" or "other" for their religion.
In 2011, the Los Angeles Times reported that only three out of 4,300 cadets at the Air Force Academy identified as Pagans.
Chaplain Don Larsen's Story
In 2006, U.S. Army Chaplain Captain Don Larsen was removed from his job in Iraq. He had changed his religion from Pentecostal Christianity to Wicca. He wanted to become the first Wiccan military chaplain. However, the group that would have supported him, the Sacred Well Congregation, was not yet officially recognized by the military. Also, his old religious group immediately stopped supporting him when they heard about his conversion. Because of this, the U.S. Army had to remove him from his chaplain role, even though he had a great service record.
Symbols on Gravestones
Before 2007, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) did not allow the pentacle symbol on gravestones in military cemeteries. This rule changed in April 2007 after a lawsuit. In the two years that followed, more than a dozen official gravestones received the pentacle symbol.
The VA also added the hammer of Thor to the list of approved symbols in May 2013. The awen symbol was added in 2017.
New Religious Codes
In 2017, the U.S. Army made a big update to its religious codes. This update added several new choices for soldiers to identify their religion. These new choices included Pagan, Wiccan, Druid, and Heathen classifications.
Religious Accommodations
In 2018, the Army allowed soldiers to grow beards for religious reasons. This was an exception to Army rules. One soldier in the 795th Military Police Battalion was allowed to grow a beard for his Heathen faith. This was seen as unusual because beards are not required in the Heathen religion, unlike in some other religions like Sikhi.
