The United States military announced this week that soldiers will be allowed don religious wear, grow beards and have tattoos.
According to Army officials who spoke with the BBC, Muslim, Sikh, Wiccan and Jewish soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines can submit official requests to be exempt from the military's grooming and uniform policies.
A soldier's request will only be turned down if military officials find that the religious attire might be a distraction.
Lt. Commander Nate Christensen told the BBC that soldiers' requests will be evaluated one by one, to make sure they don't hinder "mission accomplishment, unit cohesion, and good order and discipline."
Exemptions for facial hair and special wears might be turned down if they present a problem when wearing helmets and face masks, or operating equipment.
The policy, which will officially be put in place on Wednesday, applies to all of the religious the United States military recognizes, BBC reported.
Almost 3,700 Muslims and 1,500 Wiccans are active service members in the military, according to a report by NBC News. But Christensen told BBC on Thursday that he's still not sure exactly how many people will apply for the exemptions.
"We don't know how many requests we will get," Christensen stated. "No two requests are going to be the same."
At least three Sikhs who served in the military have been granted clearance to wear turbans, beards and long hair in past years.
