DREAMS ARE COMING TRUE FOR A THIRD YEAR STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. SHARON BURKE HAS ALWAYS WANTED TO BECOME A FIGHTER PILOT, BUT BECAUSE OF HIS SIKH FAITH, HE WAS WORRIED HE WOULD NEED TO CHOOSE FAITH OVER HIS DREAM CAREER. THANKS TO THE HELP OF THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA’S AIR FORCE ROTC DETACHMENT. 255 BURKE BECAME THE FIRST SIKH CADET IN THE COUNTRY’S HISTORY. HE WILL NOW BE ALLOWED TO WEAR THE TURBAN, BEARD AND BRACELET. THE FAITH’S RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS. BUT I JUST KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE A PROCESS TO MAKE MAKE THE CHANGE HAPPEN. SO BUT I DIDN’T REALLY FEEL IT AS MUCH OF LIKE IT DIDN’T FEEL LIKE AN OBSTACLE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE AROUND ME WAS REALLY SUPPORTIVE AND HELPFUL. SO IT WAS IT WAS REALLY, REALLY A VERY SMOOTH PROCESS, ME. BURKE SAYS IN TOTAL PROCESS TO BECOME A CADET W
University of Iowa student becomes first Sikh Air Force cadet in US history
Gursharan Virk has always wanted to become a fighter pilot. But because of his Sikh faith, he was worried he would need to choose faith over his dream career. Thanks to the help of the University of Iowa’s Air Force ROTC Detachment 255, Virk became the first Sikh cadet in the country’s history. He will be allowed to keep his beard and to wear traditional religious symbols of his faith — a turban and bracelet.”But I just knew it was gonna be a process to, you know, make the change happen. But… it didn’t feel like an obstacle, because, you know, everyone around me was really supportive and helpful. So it was really a very smooth process for me,” Virk said. Virk said the process to become a cadet was about 8 to 9 months in total.
Gursharan Virk has always wanted to become a fighter pilot. But because of his Sikh faith, he was worried he would need to choose faith over his dream career.
Thanks to the help of the University of Iowa’s Air Force ROTC Detachment 255, Virk became the first Sikh cadet in the country’s history.
He will be allowed to keep his beard and to wear traditional religious symbols of his faith — a turban and bracelet.
“But I just knew it was gonna be a process to, you know, make the change happen. But… it didn’t feel like an obstacle, because, you know, everyone around me was really supportive and helpful. So it was really a very smooth process for me,” Virk said.
Virk said the process to become a cadet was about 8 to 9 months in total.
